


Chasing the Desert

by Bay



Series: Chasing the Desert [6]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-14
Updated: 2012-09-09
Packaged: 2017-11-09 23:51:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 37,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/459883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bay/pseuds/Bay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…</i> Not long after the Promised Day was over, Roy and Riza are getting used to their newfound romantic relationship. At the same time they make progress on restoring Ishval and help out with rebuilding Amestris’s political and government system. The plans didn’t get off to a great start when several Ishvalans were skeptical over Roy’s plans on revising the Ishval policies and supporters of the late Fuhrer Bradley not wanting the changes to happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For FMA Big Bang 2011-2012. Er, for some reason I haven't posted this fic at AO3 until just now. Want to thank muziris and missyquill from LJ for their great betaing and the artists for the art. At the moment I have six out of nine chapters ready for posting, but I'll have the last three chapters ready fairly soon.
> 
> A bit of background before getting into the story. This story is a follow up to two of my Roy/Riza fics, [Say My Name](http://archiveofourown.org/works/179089) and [These Scars We’ve Earned](http://archiveofourown.org/works/289849). Also there are some references to my Big Bang fic I wrote last year, [Down the Road](http://bay115.livejournal.com/70827.html) and also the FMA Wii games _Prince of the Dawn_ and _Daughter of the Dusk_. However, this story you can follow along pretty well without reading the fics I had mentioned. You also don’t have to know much about the games except that in one part Bradley had assigned Riza to do an assassination attempt (which was stopped by Edward, haha). 
> 
> Another thing I want to mention is I’m using Brotherhood’s version of the ending for this story, so if you guys are wondering, “Why Roy and his team aren’t in East City yet?” rest assured that will happen eventually. Lots more I want to say, but let’s run this show now!

You can tell a true war story by the way it never seems to end. Not then, not ever.  
-Tim O’ Brien   
  
  
 _“Fuhrer Grumman announced today that he has agreed to meet with King Claudio of Aerugo after receiving a letter from him requesting a ceasefire between Aerugo and Amestris. Fuhrer Grumman states that he 'already hoped to settle' the border disputes between the two nations and open peace negotiations and that he is 'happy to see' that King Claudio has already taken the first step towards that goal by requesting the ceasefire. Grumman already has plans for future relations with Aerugo, saying 'it would be wonderful if we can build a strong relationship through trade and mutual trust. Of course, nothing is set in stone at the moment, but I like to remain optimistic.'”  
  
“The two leaders are to start private peace negotiations one month from now. There are no plans for a welcome festival, however a press conference will be held immediately following the meeting.”  
  
“That’s all for today’s afternoon news at Radio Capital. Tune in again at four o’ clock for more news in Amestris.”_  
  
+++  
  
King Claudio made arrangements to travel to Central immediately.  
  
Preparations for the trip luckily went smoothly and without a hitch. The Aerugian King had requested Fuhrer Grumman to let South City Military Headquarters know he would be on his way to South City and have a train ready for him and his guests. The Fuhrer was happy to comply.  
  
And so King Claudio, his son Prince Armel, and several advisers began their journey, the King’s wife remaining in Aerugo to oversee the country during her husband's absence. They first travelled from Padrid City to Rouge Town by train, which took over a day, and it was another two days from there to South City by carriage. When the group finally reached South City, the General in charge of the military headquarters greeted them and showed everyone to their train. The trip to Central City would be three days.  
  
The first two nights as the train passed through Amestris the king and his son discussed politics pertaining to their country. On the third night, that was when they decided to talk about the peace negotiations with Amestris.   
  
“So the peace talks will be private, am I right, Father?”   
  
“Yes, Armel,” King Claudio said. “Fuhrer Grumman said that some high ranking generals and a few special guests will be there, but that is all.”  
  
There were no plans for a welcoming celebration this time due to the King not wanting a repeat of the last time he visited Amestris, which involved a terrorist attack in Central and him being taken hostage. He was hidden inside an abandoned warehouse for a while until a few military men found him, one of them he remembered being Colonel Roy Mustang. King Claudio was grateful to them for saving his life before it was too late.  
  
Prince Armel raised an eyebrow, but chuckled soon after. “Special guests? Well, as long as this peace talk doesn't turn to a crowd gathering, everything should be fine.”  
  
King Claudio also wasn’t sure what Fuhrer Grumman meant by special guests. Perhaps lower rank military officers the Fuhrer trusted well? People with external connections to the military? Whatever the case, he found it intriguing.   
  
“Indeed.” The king nodded and smiled before turning to gaze out the window, seeing a town with lots of farmland and small buildings scattered all over slide by.   
  
The train had several stops to make before landing in Central, and the King couldn’t help but notice that the people at all the different stations looked very hopeful. He had heard of what happened during the Promised Day and knew the country was going through a massive political reconstruction. It seemed everyone was looking forward to the upcoming changes, and he honestly couldn't wait either.  
  
+++   
  
Roy and Riza made it a routine to take turns visiting each other’s places every few days and not let anything or anyone get in their way.  
  
Tonight they were in Riza’s bedroom, clinging together as if it there was nowhere else to go and they were the only two people left in the world. As the two remained still on the bed, Riza had her head rested on Roy’s chest, enjoying the steadiness of his breath. She felt his fingers slowly stroking the back of her neck, which made her shudder in delight.  
  
Riza found it funny how their relationship had started. She had loved him for years (and knew he felt the same way), but it wasn’t until the night after they were allowed to leave Central Military Hospital that she really wanted them to be more than friends and loyal comrades. When they were in her apartment, she first apologized to Roy for threatening to kill herself during the Promised Day, only for him to say sorry for hurting her and accidentally called her name aloud. She had smiled wickedly at him, glad to hear him say “Riza”— to her, that meant he was willing to be close now. One thing led to another, and they were lost in their intimacy.  
  
Yes, they had a lot on their plates while rebuilding Amestris and restoring Ishval, but it would be foolish to set their love aside. Riza believed they deserved to be together after all they had gone through, so she was happy they were able to work this out.  
  
“I think we should go to sleep now,” Riza teased, smiling. “We have to wake up early tomorrow.” Her fingers traced around the scar tissue Roy had from Lust, which was warm and soft.  
  
“Maybe, but we’re used to not getting much shut eye,” Roy whispered into her ear before nipping it. Riza made a soft sound, being thrown off the edge, and found herself already kissing him. Before she knew it, though, her lips drew away from Roy’s jaw and she lowered her head down in shame.  
  
“Are you okay?” Roy asked, looking at her in concern.  
  
Riza heaved a heavy sigh. “I don’t think I deserve to come to that peace negotiation tomorrow. I almost assassinated the king.”  
  
Tomorrow Riza, Roy, Breda, Fuery, and Ross—she still was getting used to having her in Roy’s team— were to accompany Fuhrer Grumman during the peace negotiations with King Claudio and Prince Armel of Aerugo. The treaty talk was going to be behind closed doors, a private affair. There would be a press conference on the signing, on the other hand. Riza knew why Grumman wanted the team to come and she was honored, but…  
  
“Actually, you could have killed the person disguised as King Claudio, but don’t worry about it. Fuhrer Bradley was the one that wanted the king dead.”  
  
“True,” she said, a slight smile playing around her lips. “It’s ironic, though, that you were the one that got arrested for attempted murder.”  
  
Roy narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t remind me.”  
  
Riza couldn’t help but laugh and kissed his cheeks. After having herself pulled closer to him, Riza wrapped her arms around Roy’s waist as he leaned in to catch her mouth with his. She felt butterflies in her stomach, his skin hot against hers.   
  
“I’m glad that we’re rebuilding this country, revising the Ishval policies, and…us finally together,” he said when they took a moment to catch their breaths.  
  
“Me too.” A soft note of content laced Riza’s voice when she said that.  
  
They kissed once more, Riza not minding losing some sleep tonight.   
  
+++  
  
Roy was never the kind of person to be excited over greeting special guests, but knew today’s visitors were important for the reconstruction of Amestris. Having strong ties with other countries was the first step.   
  
When Fuhrer Grumman had let him know about the King of Aerugo and his son coming for a private visit, he couldn’t help but chuckle. He only met the king once over half a year ago, back when King Claudio was still a prince. Apparently not long after the terrorist incident, the elder man became king—Roy found it weird Claudio wasn’t crowned king yet until early winter this year, despite him being married and having a son for many years already. Grumman then told Roy he wanted him, Riza, Ross, Fuery, and Breda to join him during the peace negotiations because they had rescued him and that they were hard at work with rebuilding the country. He was fine with that reason and looked forward to meeting with King Claudio again.   
  
He and his team were now outside with Fuhrer Grumman, waiting for the royal father and son to arrive. It was a cloudy morning with the cold breeze kicking in, so everyone wore their military coats. Roy shivered a little.   
  
“You don’t like the cold either, huh, my boy?” Grumman said mischievously after taking a glimpse at him.   
  
“Maybe.”  
  
“The King and Prince should be here any minute now, so don’t worry,” Ross said, a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “Actually, this weather is a nice change after being in Xing for so long.”  
  
“Well, Ishval is pretty hot too, so you’ll have to get used to the heat again,” Breda shot back, smirking. Ross responded with a glare.   
  
Roy chuckled and shook his head. He instantly had Second—no, First now—Lieutenant Maria Ross inducted into his team after the Promised Day was over. Second Lieutenant Falman was positioned once again in Briggs due to Major General Olivier Armstrong needing him there, so Roy had asked Ross to join him in helping out with the reconstruction of Amestris and restoring Ishval. Ross happily agreed to it.  
  
“How long will the peace negotiations last?” Riza asked the Fuhrer and then cleared her throat. “Sorry, I’m still getting used to my voice not being as strong as before.”  
  
A frown appeared on Roy’s face. There was a hint of roughness in Riza’s voice now that would constantly remind him how he almost lost her. He assumed that cut on her neck went deeper than he expected. This was not the right time to think that right now.   
  
“Several days, I assume,” Grumman said. “King Claudio and I do have a lot to discuss.”  
  
Roy knew that would be the case and assumed he and his team would partake in the peace talks when the opportunity arose. They were invited, after all.   
  
It wasn’t long until everyone finally saw a few men marching up the stairs. Roy had spotted two particular men that Grumman, himself, and his group were waiting for. They both wore the same blue overcoats and red Aerugian military uniforms. The younger looking man, which Roy knew for sure was the King’s son, was straightening his glasses and looking at him with deep interest. Roy blinked, wondering why.  
  
“So it’s true that you got your eyesight back, Roy Mustang. I never thought that was possible.”  
  
Roy couldn’t help but chuckle. “I didn’t think that either, Prince Armel, but I have a certain doctor to thank for that.”  
  
Ever since he got his sight back thanks to Dr. Marcoh, Roy was determined to set things straight with the Ishvalans. All would be done in due time, but Roy only hoped his eyes wouldn’t disappoint the people he was trying to help.   
  
The prince smiled at that remark and followed his father as they walked towards Grumman. When they came close to him, the King and Fuhrer shook hands.   
  
“Welcome to Amestris,” Grumman greeted. “I’m glad that you wanted to get started on the peace talks.”  
  
“I wanted this war to end long ago, but it was impossible while King Bradley was still in power. My son is the one that suggested I talk to you as soon as possible. ”  
  
King Claudio stopped talking, and glanced at Roy, grinning at him.   
  
“It’s nice to see you again, Colonel Mustang. Again, I want to thank you and your men for saving me during my last visit.”  
  
“I’m actually a Brigadier General now,” he corrected, but smiled back. “And you’re very welcome.”  
  
“Oh, so you got promoted? Congratulations!”  
  
The men shook hands, but Roy saw confusion in the King’s eyes.   
  
“Wait, there was one more gentleman with you. I remember most of you,”—he pointed to Riza, Fuery, and Breda--“but one's missing.”  
  
“Oh, you mean Falman. He had to be transferred to the North because one of the generals needed his help.”  
  
“Ah, I see. That makes sense.” After giving Roy a quick nod, King Claudio turned to face everyone. “Okay, then, let’s get started with the peace negotiations, shall we?”   
  
Grumman let out a joyous laugh.“Yes yes, we should.”   
  
The Fuhrer gestured for all to follow him inside, and they complied. Roy hoped that everything would go smoothly.   
  
+++  
  
The negotiations indeed stretched out for a few days, as Roy predicted. The talks started with opening the railroads to and from Aerugo, and proceeding through to the removal of Amestrian troops posted within the country. Fuhrer Grumman agreed to this almost immediately, as Amestris was eager to have her troops come home. However, the atmosphere became a little tense when King Claudio requested a large sum of money to be paid as compensation for the damages done to Aerugo as a direct result of the war. There was a debate, and Roy felt on edge as Grumman and Claudio struggled to find a middle ground and agree on the amount of money due. Initially, Claudio demanded a total of seventy-five billion cenz, but after a while, Grumman had managed to talk him down to forty-four billion cenz in reparations. The tension subsided shortly after, and the negotiations continued smoothly through many other terms and conditions. Overall, Roy thought the peace talk was going well so far. He and his team did partake in the discussions, voicing their opinion over some of the topics at hand— one of which if Amestris should give the annexed land back to Aerugo, and if so how much. That happened on the last day of the meeting.  
  
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to give all of your land back easily,” Grumman said as calmly as possible to the king. “The Amestrians won’t be particularly happy about it.”  
  
“There might be revolts,” Lieutenant General Ernest, one of the high ranking generals invited to the discussion, added in. “This country doesn’t need another one!”  
  
“Well, it would be rather hard to be allies with a nation so unflinching. I can’t think of many Aerugians who would ever want to,” Prince Armel challenged, closing his eyes.  
  
“That’s unreasonable,” Major General Hakuro, another high ranking general taking part of the peace treaty talks, said and glared at the prince. “You can’t just expect us to give all of your land back in one fell swoop.”  
  
“For many years we have fought to regain our land,” one of the Aerugian generals said. “We can’t let that go. Our people died for that land!”  
  
The whole room all of a sudden erupted into an argument, Roy and his team the only ones not involved as they chose instead to quietly observe. Everything became more intense than Roy expected as Fuhrer Grumman and King Claudio were then engaged in diplomatic warfare.  
  
“As soon as I saw the percentage of annexed lands your country demands back, I told General Hakuro that Aerugians have a great sense of humor.”  
  
“Surely you understand the need to appease the people, you Excellency. We wouldn't want them to think Aerugo was under any pressure would we?”  
  
“Something has to be done about this before it gets out of hand,” Ross whispered to Roy.  
  
“I know,” Roy said back. He scratched his chin, trying to come up with something, and just like that an idea hit him.  
  
“King Claudio, your country is initially a trading nation, right?” Roy pointed out. Everyone in the room quieted themselves...and turned their attention towards him.  
  
“Yes, that’s true,” King Claudio said slowly, curious. “Are you suggesting something?”  
  
“Well, considering this country is going through a huge reconstruction right now, and Amestris could benefit from your resources. How about we reach some sort of compromise. We’ll give sixty percent of the land back to your country and in return Aerugo open trade with us. Aerugo gets most of its land back, and the people of Amestris are pacified by the incoming resources. The resources will be put to good use.”  
  
All the guests in the room remained silent, waiting for the answer from King Claudio. It wasn’t long until the king of Aerugo nodded in approval.  
  
“I actually like that idea. I’m willing to discuss which resources you want from us, Fuhrer Grumman.”  
  
“Sounds like a plan.” Grumman beamed and laughed. “I knew I made the right choice in having you take part in this discussion, Mustang.”  
  
In the corner of his eye, Roy could see Hakuro scowling at him. He knew how much the Major General hated his guts, Hakuro was one of the few generals that didn’t approve of his promotion. That was the least of his concerns, though. Roy looked at Grumman and smiled.  
  
Many hours had passed and after Fuhrer Grumman and King Claudio talked over everything, it was agreed upon the signing would be tomorrow and a press conference to be held for this special occasion. The men shook hands and everyone erupted in applause.  
  
The Fuhrer shook hands with King Claudio one more time and turned to everyone in the room. "Okay everyone, you're all dismissed. I expect to see every one of you there tomorrow."  
  
Roy and everybody else saluted and yelled out, "Yes sir!" to him. The Brigadier General and his team waited until Fuhrer Grumman and all the other military officers marched out of the room. When it was their turn to leave, Roy was halted by a hand on his shoulder. He looked over and saw King Claudio with a warm smile on his face.  
  
"I actually want to talk to you in private for a moment."  
  
Roy's heart drummed loudly. Why would he want to talk to him? There was only one way to find out; this would be a meeting of two kings. He glanced at his team who looked equally confused.  
  
"Don't worry guys, I'll be fine," he said, bidding them a reassured smile.  
  
His team didn't look convinced; nonetheless, they nodded and everyone but Riza left Roy and King Claudio alone. Silence held them tight for a moment, but the older man coughed and started the conversation in a stern voice.  
  
"Brigadier General Mustang, I want to talk to you because you're the one that is overseeing revision of the Ishval policies."  
  
This wasn't the first time someone wanted to talk to Roy about Ishval, but he felt the insides of his stomach churn.  
  
"Yes, that's true. What would you like to know?"  
  
King Claudio didn't say anything at first--Roy assumed the older man was choosing his words carefully. "You already know how Aerugo involved itself in the Civil War by providing the Ishvalans with firearms?”  
  
"Yes," Roy said and nodded. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.  
  
"If you must know, I’m very aware of what the State Alchemists are capable of as I have lost too many men to them. So tell me, Hero of Ishval -” Roy flinched at the title, “- what you expect the end result of the revised policies to be? I’m concerned those would result in another genocide.”  
  
Roy felt pressured to give the King a good answer, but a determined expression was set on his  
face. No, if the King's intention was to get him to crack, he wouldn't fall for it.  
  
“King Claudio, let me ask you this. Why was it that during the Ishval Extermination you didn’t give refuge to the Ishvalans? Why go to such lengths to smuggle weapons to them if you never intended to help them escape Amestris? Unless...”  
  
“... Unless the intention was to use them?” A sad smile spread across the king’s face.  
  
That made Roy let out a grave sound. The Brigadier General didn’t expect King Claudio to admit so boldly to something like that, so he became speechless. Roy glimpsed at Riza for a second as she dropped her gaze from him and frowned.  
  
“But…why?” he asked finally.  
  
“Back then I thought it would be a great opportunity to gain the upper hand in the war. Bradley had taken many of the State Alchemists away from Aerugo so that they could fight in Ishval and the Ishvalans needed help. However, when the Ishvalans sought refuge in Aerugo, I had my soldiers refuse because Bradley wouldn’t hesitate to send his men after them. I didn't want any more bloodshed in my country than was necessary, and that was selfish of me. I've always regretted it.”  
  
Roy could tell from King Claudio’s tone that he was indeed sorry for not giving the Ishvalans refuge. He would feel the same way if he were in his place.  
  
“I believe you, King Claudio,” Roy said with a tiny smile. “I hate myself for what I had to do in Ishval. It was orders, I keep telling myself, but…” He paused, staring down at his hands. “I know revising the Ishval policies won’t relieve me of the sins I committed, but I can at least try to make amends by revising the policies.”  
  
“I understand your situation very well. At least now with Fuhrer King Bradley gone, the Ishvalans can breathe easier. Speaking of which, I decided to provide you with technology and supplies to help out your efforts in rebuilding Ishval.”  
  
Again, Roy was left speechless. He always thought King Claudio was uninterested in helping out Ishval, but he was wrong. Sometimes he liked being surprised.  
  
“I accept your offer, then.” Roy’s smile became wider. The men then shook hands.   
  
+++  
  
“How the meeting with His Majesty go?” Breda asked.  
  
“It went better than expected, actually,” Roy explained. “Long story short, he’s going to help out in the rebuilding of Ishval by sending in technology and supplies.”  
  
Upon entering the office with Roy, Riza had already expected her fellow comrades to ask questions about the private meeting. Thinking back, she grew a little uneasy as Roy and King Claudio were talking, only to be stunned when the king offered to help out with rebuilding Ishval. Riza was glad everything worked out well in the end.  
  
“Wait…the King’s going to do that?” Ross said, throwing Roy a shocked look. Riza noticed both Fuery and Breda wore similar expressions of disbelief.  
  
“Yes. I was surprised upon hearing that, too. He was sorry for not helping the Ishvalans out during the extermination and wanted to make it up.”  
  
“Oh, that’s great news!” Fuery said, his face stretched with a grin. “I’m sure that’ll help your plans immensely.”  
  
“I’m sure it will.” There was a smile on Roy’s face, but it soon faded to a frown. “Captain Hawkeye, can I speak with you in my office please?  
  
Used to having Roy wanting to talk with her alone, Riza said instantly, “Yes, sir.” She caught a glimpse of Fuery, Ross, and Breda, the three looking on in confusion. Nonetheless, she followed him as they made their leave.  
  
After the two military officers entered the office and walked a few steps, they halted and Riza gave out a surprised gasp when Roy cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her. Part of her wondered why he was doing this and what would happen if they got caught, but those thoughts soon faded away. As soon as his lips parted from hers, she looked at him in confusion.  
  
“Next week we’re going on our first trip to Ishval,” Roy said before Riza could ask what was going on, “and I know the first few talks with the people will be very shaky. I want you to promise me that no matter what, you won’t leave my side.”  
  
A smile played on Riza’s lips. “I already promised you that long ago.”  
  
Riza’s arms wrapped around Roy’s neck and she pressed her lips against his, feeling his hands slide onto her back. The both of them had to be quick about this if they didn’t want to get caught. She too knew Ishval would be rough for some time, but they would get through this together.  
  
For one fleeting moment, she tasted the desert.  
  
+++  
  
 _“King Claudio of Aerugo and Fuhrer Grumman have signed the peace treaty, ending the war between the two countries. It has been agreed upon that Grumman will pull out all our troops stationed in Aerugo immediately, though the process might take some time. Trains between Aerugo and Amestris will soon be open as well. Before King Claudio left Amestris, he announced that he’ll help the Ishvalans out by giving supplies and technology to them.  
  
“Speaking of Ishval, Grumman also mentions that next week Brigadier General Mustang and his team will start visiting several Ishval districts and making ties with the people there, the first one being Daliha. We asked the Fuhrer why ‘The Hero of Ishval’ was chosen to lead this task, he responded that 'Mustang is the one who wanted to do this in the first place. His dedication to revising the Amestrian Ishval Policies to better suit the interests of the Ishvalan people is unrivalled: no one is better suited to the task.'”_  
  
On the day of the peace treaty signing, many journalists gathered around outside Central Command, pens and cameras at the ready. Each time someone flashed a picture, the sudden light would make Roy wince. That was why he hated people taking pictures of him.  
  
For most of the press conference he and Riza stood still. The Flame Alchemist thought it was unnecessary for Grumman to state his trip to Ishval, but it was flattering the Fuhrer thought he was the perfect person for the job.   
  
As the treaty signing was underway, Roy felt Riza holding his right hand and pulled them behind their backs. When he saw her smiling at him, he grinned back. He glanced at everyone behind them—their eyes were on the King and the Fuhrer. Roy’s face relaxed to a grin as both men finished signing the treaty and everyone applauded.   
  
“One down, two to go,” Riza whispered.  
  
“Hopefully Creta and Drachma will follow.”  
  
“I have no doubt they will.”  
  
Roy's fingers gripped Riza’s tighter as he watched the King and Fuhrer wave to the crowd. Of course, it would be a long road until everything in Amestris was settled. Nonetheless, the hard work would pay off in the end and he was glad he and Riza could be a part of it. Now he was looking forward to the Ishval trip more than ever.


	2. Chapter 2

Roy and Riza had left Central a week after the peace treaty was signed to go to Daliha, one of the Ishval districts reopened not long after the Promised Day passed. They were going to that particular area mainly because Scar (Roy still hadn’t thought of what he wanted to call him) and Lieutenant Colonel Miles (promoted recently, he reminded himself) were currently residing. From the reports the men had send to Roy, everything was going well already. He couldn’t wait to see it for himself.

Ross, Fuery, and Breda were not with their superior for this trip and instead were going to visit Gunja, another district recently reopened. Roy thought it was a good idea that his team split into two so that one group could visit one district while the other group visits the other. That way, they would know if the districts were progressing at the same pace. 

During the train ride, he and Riza were busy discussing the latest report Miles and Scar had sent them. Apparently the harvesting of wheat and cotton were going well there and a new school was close to completion, the pre-enrollment seats already filled. Good news, so far. Roy was never a fan of long trips, but being in the same compartment and talking with Riza made the time pass by much faster. 

Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, click-clack…

“There’s no mention of a set date when the school will be completed,” Roy said while reading the report. “Usually construction plans have a tentative date of when a project will be finished.”

“Turn the page,” Riza responded, not taking her eyes off from the same report. She then said matter-of-factly, “The school will be finished next month.”

The Brigadier General snorted after he did just that. “Oh, I see it now, thanks. I wonder if the teachers selected have thought of the lessons yet.” 

“I’m sure the teachers have already planned them. It’s exciting to think that Ishvalan children will receive proper education soon.”

Roy agreed with a soft “hmm” sound and then became quiet, flipping through several more pages. He stopped at one page, interest showing in his features. 

“Miles also mentioned that a library is being built and many Ishvalans will be donating books.”

“That’s nice.” She glanced up from the report in her hands to look at Roy, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. “Have you considered having the Central Library donate books as well? Perhaps the Fourth Branch might donate their classic literature books.”

“I’m thinking about that, yes. That’s one of the things I want to discuss with the men when the opportunity comes.” 

Roy went back to looking at the report, only to have his mind drift to Miles and Scar. It seemed just yesterday he had met them.

It was over a month ago that Miles had met with him and Riza. It was almost evening, and Breda, Ross, and Fuery had left Roy’s office early, leaving him and the Captain to await their guest. 

“I’m glad you could come here on such short notice,” Roy said, initiating the conversation.

“There are a few things we need to discuss before I leave for Ishval, correct, Brigadier General Mustang?”

The alchemist propped his elbows on his desk, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin atop them. “This won’t take long, but there are some issues I want to bring to your attention. I assume you’ll be going to various Ishvalan districts?” 

“The ones that have been opened so far? Yes.” Miles smiled, but his face turned serious almost immediately. “Are you suggesting that I should send you progress reports once a month or so?”

“I actually want to be up to date on what’s going on, so I want mini progress reports by telegram every week. For the full reports, once a month sounds great. They should be on my desk before the twenty-fifth of every month.”

“I can manage that.”

The meeting continued for several more minutes and Roy was right when he said it would be a short one. They went on to discuss that the full reports should be mailed. Also, Roy and Riza would come visit the districts every few months to see some of the buildings planned for construction and the progress themselves. As soon as all the terms were agreed upon, Miles stood up and shook both Roy and Riza’s hands. 

“It’s a pleasure talking with the both of you and I look forward to working with you.” 

“We’re excited for your help too, Miles,” Riza said, both she and Roy smiling. 

“Glad to hear it. Before I leave, though, I have one request.” 

Roy raised both eyebrows. He wasn’t expecting Miles to have one ready, but wouldn’t mind it depending on the request, of course. “Oh, really? I’d love to hear it, do tell.”

“I want to bring Scar with me to Ishval,” Miles responded, no hesitation hinted in his voice. “He’s out in the hall now and would like to talk to you if you’re fine with that.”

Both Roy and Riza had shocked expressions written all over their faces. As far as they knew, Scar was missing and technically still on the wanted list. He being dead was another possibility. Still unsure what to think, Roy glanced at Riza, who had already calmed and was nodding. He looked back at Miles and gave him a genuine smile. 

“Let me speak with him before I make my decision.” 

“Thank you.” Miles bobbed his head a little before jerking it to the left and hollered, “All right, Scar, you can come in!”

Slow footsteps were heard and then Scar walked in. Roy looked at him for a while.

“It’s been a while since we last met,” Roy finally said.

“If you hadn’t used the Philosopher’s Stone to regain your eyesight back, then you wouldn’t have seen me now.” 

Roy noted a grim tone when Scar spoke. His heart skipped a beat. Most likely Miles had told him how he got his eyesight back. A couple times he wondered if he made the right decision, knowing many Ishvalans would get mad at him for using their people’s blood. Reminding himself he did that for them made Roy more confident in his choice. 

“Miles told me about it a couple days ago,” Scar explained. “I was quite shocked you would do that, especially after what you had done in Ishval.” 

“I started with revising the Ishval policies right away while in the hospital, blind. Shortly after, Dr. Marcoh came and asked that I use the Stone to bring the Ishvalan’s land back and allow him to be their doctor. I could do it blind, but I know I could do so much more with my eyesight than without. I want to see the progress over Ishval and make amends with the people.” 

“I’m sure you’re aware that my people won’t be too happy about that. They’ll think you’re taking advantage of them.”

Roy just nodded; he was well aware of the thin ice he was walking on.

“Roy Mustang, I may never forgive you for what you did during the Ishval Extermination, but I’m glad that you’re doing this. My master had said to me that you must become the change you wish to see in the world, and you’re doing just that.”

For the first time in the meeting, Roy smiled. “Thank you for understanding.”

“I’m confident Scar will help out greatly while we’re in Ishval together,” Miles said.

“I agree,” Riza said with a single nod. 

“All right, it’s settled then. The both of you are to leave for Ishval by next week and update me on the progress of the rebuilding there,” Roy said to Miles and Scar. 

“That won’t be a problem,” Scar said. 

With everything agreed upon, everyone shook hands.

“Sir? Sir?”

Upon hearing Riza calling him, he swung his head and looked at her, blinking. “Huh?” he responded lazily. Roy assumed Riza was letting him know what else was written on the report when he wasn’t paying attention. 

“You look like you had something on your mind.”

An embarrassed chuckle escaped him. “Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about our meeting with Miles and Scar several weeks ago. I’m looking forward to talking with them.”

“Me too. Need a break?”

“Probably.”

When the military officers were quiet, Roy turned his head to look out the window. The train passed through many rolling hills and grasslands, making him realize that soon there would be nothing but barren desert. Suddenly being reminded of something, Roy spoke in a causal manner. 

“You know, I have been thinking about our past.”

Riza threw him a blank stare. “Really?”

“Well, a lot of people keep saying how our time at Ishval could be considered a great war story for a radio drama or novel.” Roy smiled a little. “I don’t consider it a war story.”

“You don’t?” Riza asked, arching an eyebrow. “What do you consider it then?” 

“A love story.” Roy’s smile grew slightly wider. 

It took a moment for the Captain’s face shift from bafflement to amusement. “A love story, huh? There was nothing between us back then, Gener… Roy.”

The Flame Alchemist stopped himself from snorting. Despite the both of them agreeing to say each other’s names when they’re alone, it seemed she was still trying her best to break off that habit. Then again, he too needed to get used to saying her name. 

“Not in that kind of way, no,” Roy said before chuckling. “But I considered it one mainly because the main characters in the story knew one another before, and the desert makes a great setting.”

Riza had a gentle smile on her face and then said, “How about the part where those same people are now setting things straight?” 

“That too.” He flashed her a silly grin.

Out of affection, Riza held onto his arm tight, kissed him lightly on his neck, and then rested her head on his shoulder. Soon they would be at Daliha but Roy sighed in delight, enjoying this quiet moment they were having. 

+++

 

The last time Roy was at Daliha he burned the whole district down. The snapping of his fingers, screams from the people that got caught in the flames, explosions louder than thunder… His stomach twisted at the memory. He and Riza were in a jeep truck, driven by one of the lower ranking officers. He had picked them up from the last train stop.

 

It was hard for Roy to believe that he was coming back to the area he had destroyed. Was this a good idea after all? He was excited to see how Daliha had progressed, only to suddenly remember what he had done during the truck ride. Roy tried his best not to show any horror on his face, which seemed to be working as Riza didn’t say anything. 

When the short trip was over, the solider parked the truck in front of a nearby building made of brick. Roy and Riza got out of the vehicle and already Miles was approaching them. 

“Captain Hawkeye, Brigadier General Mustang! Glad you two could come!” Miles yelled and then waved at them. 

“Lieutenant Colonel Miles!” Roy greeted back. As soon as he and Riza came closer to Miles, the men shook hands. “So we’ll be going to see Scar again?”

“Yes, but not right away. I actually want the both of you to see the construction of the school building first.”

“The school building?” Riza said, her voice appearing to be of mild interest. 

Miles nodded and then looked at Roy. “How about you, Mustang? Are you fine with it?”

Instantly, Roy nodded. “Yes. Lead us there.”

+++

Riza had counted how many steps it took from the parked jeep to the construction site of the school, which was exactly five hundred. She didn’t think it was such a long walk. 

The moment Riza laid her eyes on the school, her face slipped into an amazed expression. The school was still in the beginning stages, but she already imagined it looking stunning. There were many Ishvalans working on the building, each one busy with something. Riza glanced at Roy, seeing him just as astounded as she was. 

“There was an overwhelming number of Ishvalans who want to help with building the school,” Miles said. “The Ishvalan children weren’t able to get a proper education after the Ishval Extermination.”

“I know,” Roy said. Riza saw him frown and lower his head a little. “None of the schools in Amestris would allow them in. All of the schools in Ishval were destroyed, so there was nowhere else they could go to. They had to live in poverty as social outcasts.”

“At the moment we have makeshift classrooms, so those will make do until the school is complete.”

Riza bit her lip. She was a firm believer that everyone should have a proper education, and it disgusted her how the Ishvalan children weren’t given a chance for one after before now. Once this school building was finished, all of that would change. 

“This is a hopeful sight to see,” she said with a smile. “I can’t wait for the school to be finished.”

Roy nodded and wore the same smile as Riza. “Me too. I’m sure the children will be happy with this.”

+++

After Miles had shown the construction site to Roy and Riza, he led them to one area of the district where there were several small clay houses scattered around. It seemed that most of the dwellings had been fixed since the start of the Ishval revision. The Captain was curious about this spot, but Miles was already one step ahead of her.

“This is one of the neighboring areas of Daliha. Scar is waiting for us here.”

“Why this particular place?” Riza asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

Miles adjusted his glasses and said, “His former master lives here now and Scar said he wants to talk with you two.”

“Wait, Scar’s master wants to meet with Hawkeye and me?” Roy said in a shocked tone. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Riza remained silent, unsure what to think about this. She too was baffled upon hearing that. Should she be honored or frightened over this prospect?

“Me neither,” she finally said. “I wonder why that’s the case, though.”

“Scar didn’t tell me the reason.” Miles shrugged. “He just told me to have you guys see his master.”

The three fell silent as they continued walking down the neighborhood. Riza looked around her surroundings and caught four Ishvalan children kicking a ball to each other. They were laughing, enjoying this game of theirs. A smile was planted on her lips. 

“What you’re smiling about?”

Riza flinched, taken aback by hearing Roy’s voice, laced with amusement. She let herself relax and turned her head to look at Roy.

“It’s nice to see those kids playing.” Riza pointed and Roy looked over to see. 

Roy beamed at her. “They look very happy.”

“Indeed, they are.” Riza was glad that Roy was able to see the little moments like these; little displays of hope that made the insurmountable task they had in front of them really feel possible.

When the Captain looked at the children playing again, she saw one of them kick the ball hard and it pass through everyone, rolling straight toward her, Roy, and Miles. Roy bent down and scooped the ball up with his hands. Riza twitched slightly, worried how the children would react to that. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Miles wearing the same apprehensive expression as her. 

“What?” Still holding the ball, Roy looked at Riza and Miles in confusion. 

Riza was hoping Miles could explain, but instead he shushed Roy and let him see himself. The children were walking toward the group, all of them with nervous expressions spreading across their features. 

“Mister, are you a solider?” one of the children asked Roy, a girl.

“Yes,” Roy said. “I’m here to help.” He flashed the girl a smile and handed her the ball; she accepted it with no protest, but didn’t smile. 

“You are?” another child said, this time a boy who looked to be the youngest out of the four. He seemed interested. 

Riza couldn’t help but jump in the conversation. She kneeled down and touched the little boy’s shoulders. “We are and working very hard on that.” 

A part of her wondered if this boy knew about what happened to his people and his views on that. For certain he heard the stories from his relatives. Those thoughts were set aside when the boy grinned, which caught Riza off guard. 

“I hope so!” the boy said enthusiastically.

Riza smiled reassuringly. All of the children gave the three military officers huge grins and then dashed off to resume their game. They watched them play for a brief moment.

“The Ishval children tend to be wise beyond their years,” Miles said. “They’re aware of what happened, hence their hesitation when it comes to dealing with soldiers.” 

Roy chuckled before shaking his head. “That explains why they were surprised at me catching their ball.” 

“At least they’ve warmed up to us now,” Riza said, a small smile played around the corner of her mouth. “Soon the other Ishvalans will do the same.”

“Speaking as an Ishvalan, it might take some time, but it will happen.” 

Roy glanced at Riza and a warm expression spread across both their faces. The Captain could tell the General was glad to hear that, and she was too. 

All three officers continued walking in silence until Miles stopped at one particular clay house, causing Roy and Riza to halt. 

“Is this Scar’s master’s house?” Riza asked.

“Yes.” Miles nodded without turning his head to look at Riza. “Scar had been spending a lot of time with him these past couple of days.” 

Riza watched as the Lieutenant Colonel knocked on the door and it wasn’t long until someone answered it. She caught her breath when Scar revealed himself. It felt weird to her seeing him wearing a tunic and slacks with a striped sash over him. For a second Riza swore she saw a smile tugging at Scar’s mouth. She glanced at Roy, his expression almost similar to hers. 

“Brigadier General Mustang, Captain Hawkeye. I’m glad the both of you can make it.”

“We’re happy to be able to meet you and your master,” Roy said as he walked closer toward Scar. They shook hands. 

“He has been waiting to meet with you two. Come inside.”

Scar gestured for everyone to come inside and they followed him. 

+++

They entered what Roy assumed to be a living room, which there was nothing save for some rugs on the floor. Scar told the brigadier general and the others to kneel down on their knees, which they did. 

“I’ll let Master know you two are here. Wait a moment.”

As soon as Scar went into the other room and left everyone alone, Roy turned to face Miles. 

“Have you met Scar’s master before?” Roy whispered. 

“A couple times, yes. Master is pleased with the progress over the restoration of Ishval so far.”

Roy smiled. It was good at least someone appreciated the work he had done, even if it wasn’t much yet. “Glad to hear that.”

Roy’s thoughts drifted back to when he had picked up the ball for the Ishvalan children earlier today. He was shocked that he had done that without hesitation, not thinking the children would be afraid of him because of him in the military. It was understandable that they would be frightened and they were at first, but Roy was relieved when they warmed up to him. This made him have faith the other Ishvalans would be the same, as Riza had told him. The alchemist was interrupted when he heard footsteps coming closer. 

“Ah, so you must be Roy Mustang, correct?” 

The new voice startled him out of his thoughts. Roy saw Scar reenter the room with an elderly man who was bald, but had a long mustache. He was holding a tray with cups. 

“Yes, that would be me,” Roy said with a nod and pointed to Riza. “And this is my most trusted subordinate, Captain Riza Hawkeye.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Riza said, smiling. 

“These are the military officers I told you about, the ones that are restoring our homeland and religion.” 

“And so I heard.” Scar’s master put down the tray and kneeled across from Roy, Riza, and Miles, offering his hand to the Brigadier General and Captain. Roy and Riza accepted the handshake. “It’s nice to meet you two also.”

“So, er…” Roy stopped there, unsure what to call the elder Ishvalan. 

“You can just call me Master. Everyone does,” the man, Master, told him. 

The Flame Alchemist coughed and then said, “Well, Master, I want to personally thank you and the other Ishvalans for helping my men out back at the Promised Day. Without you guys, we wouldn’t be living today.” Roy stole a sip from his drink, which he recognized as chaanch. The last time he tasted it was during the war. 

“No problem,” Master said and let out a light laugh. 

“When I told Master about the Promised Day and that I would need his help, he gladly accepted it,” Scar said. “He didn’t want anything to happen to Amestris.”

The whole room dropped in silence as everyone drank their chaanch. While drinking, Roy gazed at Master. There was one thought that came in his mind, but he wondered if it would offend the man. He mentally took a deep breath. 

“Master, sorry if this is a personal question, but…after the Ishval Extermination, did you have a deep hatred for Amestrians?”

“If you must know, yes I do. The land I loved was destroyed.” Master took a sip from his drink before continuing. “However, I know that not all Amestrians are bad, especially ones that were part of the war like you and Captain Hawkeye.” 

Roy and Riza looked grim, lowering their gazes to the floor. “As I had told the king of Aerugo,” Roy said as he hung his head down, “I’m not proud of what I did back then, but I’m glad that I have this opportunity to make amends.”

“We all regret something we did in the past and can’t change that,” Master said. “The only thing to do is move forward.”

A tiny smile pulled at Roy’s mouth. Moving forward, the one thing he told himself to do after the Ishval Extermination. It wasn’t easy for him to do with the heavy burden still sneaking up in his nightmares from time to time, but he managed. Riza was doing the same, too.

“We’re doing whatever we can to restore Ishval,” Riza said. When Roy took a quick glimpse at her, she smiled. 

Master offered the both of them a smile and nodded. “I have no doubt that will happen.”

“Speaking of Ishval,” Miles said instantly, “Tomorrow you, Captain Hawkeye, Scar, and I leave for Xerxes for a couple of days to negotiate with the Ishvalans there, right?”

“Yes,” Roy responded with a nod. “Hopefully the talks will be fine with not too much trouble.”

He and Riza planned to stay at Daliha for tomorrow to check up on the district’s progress and then the day after head to Xerxes to talk with some of the Ishvalans there to strengthen ties with them. Before the trip, Roy discussed with Grumman if it was all right if he visited the ruins, aware that the Ishvalans had taken refuge there thanks to Breda. The Fuhrer was fine with that, saying it would be great that they returned to their homes; Roy wanted that to happen too. All of this was nerve-wracking for him. 

“The elder staying at Xerxes, Madam Shan, is much respected by my people who are with her now. You need to choose your words carefully when you talk with her and the Ishvalans there as they’re stern, from what I’ve heard.” Master’s face changed from serious to calm. “I wouldn’t worry too much, though. I’m sure they’re aware of what you’re doing for their people.”

Roy was still unsure about that, but nonetheless his face broke into a grateful smile. “I appreciate that, Master.”

“Oh Mustang, there’s something I should let you know,” Scar said suddenly. “After your visit at Xerxes, Marcoh wants you to visit him so that he can check your eyes.”

Roy chuckled. It had been a little over four months since he regained his eyesight back, so it was about time to have them checked. He was reminded of when Doctor Marcoh told him that after he got his sight back he would have to relearn to familiar himself with shapes and objects around him, which he was able to now with no problems. 

“All right, I’ll visit Doctor Marcoh after meeting with the Ishvalans in Xerxes.”

“I would like to make a toast,” Master said after a short moment of silence in the room, “to new beginnings. May Ishvala smile upon the rebirth of her land.”

“To new beginnings,” Miles said, raising his cup. Scar raised his cup too and smiled.

“To new beginnings,” Roy and Riza said in unison and raised their cups together with everyone else. 

Roy was glad the meeting with Scar’s master went well and it was a relief that he believed his plan for rebuilding Ishval would work out well. He was afraid that something wrong might happen during the negotiations in Xerxes, but for now he wanted to be hopeful.


	3. Chapter 3

Not long after their meeting with Scar and Master, Roy and Riza went back to the inn. It was a small room, but they were fine with that. Their belongings were already inside, so it hadn’t took them long to get everything sorted. Roy sat on one of the two beds and read some of the reports while listening to the radio on the only desk in the room.   
  
 _“Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…”_  
  
There was a radio drama playing, about a king and queen who had to live through the mistakes they had done to their people and the kingdom in the past. The plot started off with a neighboring kingdom wanting to rage war with them, much to the disbelief of the king and queen.   
  
 _“I can’t believe this, Damien. We’re already having problems with our own kingdom, and now King Liam wants to take over our land!”  
  
“I know Anna, I know. The people aren’t happy about this.”  
  
“And right when things are starting to go well after so many years of trying to regain the people’s trust.”_  
  
Roy stopped reading over the progress of wheat in Kanda for a brief moment. The king and queen seemed stressed over this; he would be too if he were in the king’s place. Once Roy got back to looking over the reports, he wasn’t paying much attention to what happened next. There was one part he listened to where King Damien tried to convince King Liam to call off the war, but the other king laughed in his face.   
  
 _“But I’m begging you, please reconsider your plan in taking over my kingdom.”  
  
“Ha! You’re fooling yourself in thinking I would call off the attack. Your kingdom will be diminished.”_  
  
“Are you reading the reports or listening to that play?”  
  
Roy blinked a few times and spun around to see Riza, her face lit up with a smirk. Earlier she was away to get some reports from Miles and now just came back with them tucked under her arm.   
  
“A bit of both,” he said with a shrug. “If you must know, the cropping in Kanda is going fine so far.”  
  
Riza gave a small nod. “That’s great to hear.” Changing the subject, the Captain said, “What’s the radio drama about?”  
  
“It’s about King Damien and Queen Anna trying to make amends with their people. Now one of the neighboring kingdoms is going against them.”  
  
“Sounds interesting.” Riza sat next to Roy on the bed, putting Miles’s reports down. “We can listen to the rest of the story together.”   
  
Before Roy answered, he set the papers aside too and smiled at her. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”  
  
At the moment the story was coming to a close. The battle had begun with the two kingdoms, the other side winning. It seemed that King Damien was doomed until he was able to stab King Liam through the stomach. All of the knights had cheered, but then the other king took out King Damien’s eyes with his dagger before he died. Roy cringed at that part, the actor’s yell cutting straight through his heart.   
  
“Something the matter, Roy?” Riza said, looking at him with concern. “I can turn off the radio if you want.”  
  
A sad smile spread across Roy’s face. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”  
  
Roy could tell that Riza didn’t believe him, but her face relaxed and she rested her head on his shoulders again. They continued listening to the rest of the radio drama, the last scene being the queen taking care of the king.   
  
 _“I’m so glad that you’re alive.”  
  
“I would rather die. No one wants a blind king to rule their country.”  
  
“You’re not alone. I’ll help you get through this; I’ll be your eyes from now on.”_  
  
The Brigadier General couldn’t help but snicker, which won him a light punch on the shoulder from Riza.   
  
“What’s so funny about that?”  
  
 _“You’re right, my dear. I can still rule this kingdom with you by my side.”_  
  
“Well, the expression ‘I’ll be your eyes’ is used so many times in books and movies that it’s so cliché now.”   
  
Riza didn’t say anything for a bit, but then a short chuckle left her. “I think it’s lovely. Reminds me when I was your eyes.”  
  
Roy regarded her in silence. He wondered if Riza would be his eyes if he was still blind. It was actually silly to think that as he already knew the answer to that. Roy stole her lips in a deep kiss.   
  
 _“And so the king and queen were able to rule their kingdom peacefully. Despite his blindness, King Damien got most of his plans accomplished thanks to Queen Anna who never left his side. Tune in again same time, next week to Radio Capital for another episode of Drama Tales.”_  
  
+++   
  
First Lieutenant Maria Ross wanted to take telling Breda she could handle the Ishval heat back. She was wrong.   
  
As soon as she, Fuery, and Breda made it to the Gunja district that afternoon, the blazing sun became unbearable with each step they took. She didn’t remember the desert being this hot when she had to run away from Amestris. Despite the heat, Maria was glad to actually take a look around a part of Ishval. Gunja was opened back to the Ishvalans a couple weeks ago and so far the people made slow but good progress on the rebuilding of the district, the First Lieutenant thought.   
  
When it grew dark, the three were done with their tour and meeting with the Ishvalans for the day and went to get dinner. There was a little food stand that served hot soup, so they went to grab some there and ate outside while chatting, one of the topics being how Havoc was doing.  
  
“Is Havoc’s physical therapy going well?” Fuery asked.  
  
“It’s going good so far,” Breda explained. “He told me over the phone the doctors said he was making good progress. If Havoc keeps this up, he should be able to get back to work by early spring next year.”  
  
“Wow, that fast?” Maria said with a hint of surprise in her tone. She remembered the day when Doctor Marcoh used the Philosopher’s Stone on Havoc’s legs so that he could feel them once more. He warned that Havoc still needed to learn how to walk again. He said that the Stone would help jumpstart it and estimated the physical therapy would last for a year or two.   
  
“Yep,” Breda responded, his smirk widening. “I’m looking forward to working with him again. You’ll love him.”   
  
“Well, that’s great.” Maria paused and smiled. “I really owe him since he helped me escape and convinced me to come back.”  
  
“I’m sure you and Havoc will get along really well,” Fuery said with a reassuring smile.   
  
Everyone fell silent for a moment as they drank their soup, leaving Maria to let her mind drift. She thought about Mustang and Hawkeye, who were now in the Daliha district but would be visiting Xerxes soon. It was a shock to her when she heard several Ishvalans were living at the ruins as she had to hide there for a couple of days and hadn’t seen them. The woman was aware of their involvement in the Ishval Extermination and was glad they took action in setting things straight, but part of her worried something bad might’ve happened to them. Maria then wondered to Mustang and Hawkeye.   
  
“So, Fuery, Breda…is it all right I ask you something?”  
  
Both Fuery and Breda looked at her blankly. “Sure, Ross,” Breda said, his lips curving into a smile.   
  
“Is it true that Brigadier General Mustang and Captain Hawkeye had a history together? I know the both of them were in Ishval, but I heard they knew each other even before that.”  
  
Breda crossed his arms and nodded. “Mustang actually learned his flame alchemy from Riza’s father. I didn’t know that until a couple years ago.”  
  
“Oh, I see.” Upon hearing Hawkeye’s name, Maria’s eyes flew open. “Wait, did you call Hawkeye by her first name?”  
  
“She’s fine with me saying her name,” Breda said with a shrug.   
  
“It’s true. She didn’t argue when Breda said it on the eve of the Promised Day,” Fuery said after chuckling.   
  
“Well, I think it’s unprofessional if you call the Captain by her first name.”  
  
“Don’t worry, I rarely say her first name in public.”  
  
Maria closed her mouth, not wanting to talk about this anymore, and instead began thinking about being accepted into Mustang’s team. Before he came to Central with his team last year, Maria heard him rising through the ranks fast and that his men were not to be underestimated. It was a surprise to her when Mustang wanted her on his team due to her bravery and compassion; she was flattered. There was no need to have second thoughts over his offer.   
  
“I’m glad to be part of this team,” she said, smiling. “It’s an honor to be helping Mustang with his plans.”  
  
“Did Brosh get sad when you said you would be in Mustang’s team and not with Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong?” Fuery asked.   
  
“Yes,” the First Lieutenant said with a heavy sigh. “I told him that we’re both working at Central Command and will see each other from time to time, though.”  
  
“That’s good,” Breda said. “Brosh was pretty upset over your fake death.”  
  
A small smile tugged at the corners of Maria’s lips. “No surprise, there. Both Armstrong and Brosh are very proud of me for doing this.”   
  
Maria didn’t want to disappoint anyone— Brosh, Armstrong, her team, the Ishvalans. She looked forward to the prospects and would give it her all in this restoration.   
  
+++  
  
Roy knew the trip to the ruins would take a little over two days by horse due to the large amount of sand the travelers had to get through, and frankly he was tired of seeing nothing but that. The heat was intense, but he was already used to the summer sun hotter than this. He and Riza were riding behind Miles and Scar, the ex-criminal leading them.   
  
“You know how much longer it’ll be until we get there?” Roy asked Scar. He assumed they should be getting close now.   
  
“Just a little further. We should be there before sunset.”  
  
 _Well, at least there would be something else to see besides sand soon_ , Roy convinced himself.  
  
“Have you ever been to Xerxes before, Scar?” This time the question came from Riza.   
  
Scar shook his head and said without looking at Riza, “This is my first time, but Master told me how to get there.” He paused. “There are still quite a few of people living in Xerxes because they’re waiting for their respective districts to reopen.”  
  
“The Brigadier General and I are preparing to open more districts, it’s just taking time for them to be approved,” Riza told Scar.   
  
“Will you convince the Ishvalans, though?” Miles said, turning to face Roy.  
  
“I’m aware of that and not asking for forgiveness. Again, I want to reassure them I’m doing everything I can to restore their land.”  
  
While keeping an eye out for any sign of the ruins, Roy wondered how his meeting with Madam Shan and the Ishvalans would go. He wanted to say that everything would go smoothly, but that was foolish thinking.   
  
“I can’t wait to see Xerxes,” Riza said in a low voice, suddenly interrupting Roy’s thoughts. He glanced at her, seeing a small smile on the corners of her lips. “Breda told me Xerxes is beautiful even though you’ll mostly see just rubble.”  
  
Roy’s mouth curved to a smirk. “I have to admit that I am too. I love ruins and have been fascinated by them ever since I was a little kid.”  
  
“Really?” Riza looked at him in surprise, but then chuckled. “I don’t think you ever told me this.”   
  
“I wasn’t sure if you were interested in them or not.” Roy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.  
  
“Well, history was one of my favorite subjects in school, so of course I am.”  
  
Sometimes the Brigadier General was amazed how many things he still didn’t know about Riza even though they had a long history together. The same could be said with her not knowing a few things about him. Since their relationship began, they had become more open with one another, which was what he wanted.   
  
“Scar said we’re not too far from Xerxes, so we should be there soon.”  
  
No words were exchanged for the rest of the journey. They arrived in Xerxes before sunset, just as Scar predicted. Everyone got off of their horses and tethered their horses near a fountain before going on a walking tour of the ruins and finding the Ishvalans. Roy glanced around and saw many destroyed buildings, one he recognized as a school and another some sort of eatery. His eyes glimpsed at Riza, the Captain amazed at the scenery around her. A grin spread across his features.   
  
Roy was reminded of the fairy tale of how alchemy was started. After Xerxes’ downfall, its only survivor wandered to a newly founded country, Amestris, and taught alchemy to many people. The Flame Alchemist was surprised when Edward told him it was his father who was that Eastern Sage. He never got to see him due to him being blind during the Promised Day, but Roy always thought he looked like what Ed would be many years later.   
  
“Scar, Miles, have any of you ever heard of the Tales of the Sage of the East Desert?”  
  
Both Scar and Miles faced Roy with great interest while Riza looked at him in confusion.   
  
“If that tale is what I think it is, then yes,” Scar said. “My people are aware of how Xerxes perished, which taught us how dangerous alchemy is.”  
  
Roy gulped to himself, not liking the tone the Ishvalan used. “Figures.”  
  
“Why are you asking Scar and me this?” Miles asked.   
  
“I’m just curious, that’s all,” Roy said with a shrug. Changing the subject, he said, “Does Madam Shan live near here?”   
  
“That I can’t say,” Scar said. “Most likely they’re aware of you here, so they’re watching closely.”  
  
“Well, we’ll keep looking, then.”  
  
Roy and the rest of the group continued walking through the ruins until they halted inside the remains of a temple with awestruck expressions crossing their features. The Flame Alchemist gazed at the damaged architecture surrounding him and imagined himself back four hundred years ago—the walls and pillars would have designs unlike any other.   
  
“I have always heard of stories in which the Xerxes king’s temple is one of the most beautiful architectural masterpieces of its time, and I can see why,” Miles said. “It’s such a shame that it was wiped out.”  
  
“Indeed they were really ahead of their time,” Riza agreed.  
  
While everyone was still looking around the temple, Roy noticed something not far from him. He turned around and his eyes fell upon a huge wall and inscribed on it was…  
  
 _The human transmutation circle._    
  
His heart began making fast but loud beats. Granted the top portion of the wall was missing, but he still recognized that circle from anywhere. Roy was unable to tear his eyes off from it.   
  
Memories of him being forced to do human transmutation flooded back to him. Him pinned down and unable to escape, the light that engulfed him into another place as his piercing scream filled the room, being thrown inside the Gate and his sight being ripped away from him.  
  
“Mustang? Mustang?” Miles asked.   
  
Roy blinked and turned around to see Riza, Miles, and Scar staring at him in concern. He chuckled in an embarrassed manner.   
  
“Sorry. It’s just that…”  
  
“The human transmutation circle there reminded you over what happened during the Promised Day,” Scar finished off. “Am I right?”  
  
Not surprised Scar knew that, Roy nodded. “It still feels just like yesterday that that happened to me.” A determined look slowly formed on his face. “Come on, we need to find the Ishvalans that are still staying here and talk with them.”  
  
+++  
  
The next couple of moments everyone was still walking through the ruins. Riza kept an eye out for anyone passing by, but so far she saw no one. The Captain was left wondering where the Ishvalans could be; they must be hiding pretty well to be unnoticed. Then again, Xerxes was a pretty large civilization.   
  
Riza loved what she saw of Xerxes so far. She knew a little bit about what happened here, her father told her about it when she was very little. Despite knowing how this whole country vanished, it was still unbelievable to Riza that all of Xerxes was wiped out instantly.   
  
The group was at an open area where many collapsed pillars were scattered when Miles halted everyone.   
  
"I think we have been walking long enough. Let's sit down and rest," the Lieutenant Colonel suggested.   
  
"Good idea," Roy said, fatigue evident in his voice.  
  
Roy sat on a fallen pillar while Miles took a seat on a boulder. Scar remained standing. Riza sat down next to Roy, took out her canteen, and took a sip of the last drops of water from it.  
  
"You need any more water?" Roy asked.  
  
Riza shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm fine." Roy smiled and took a swig from his own canteen.   
  
No words were spoken by anyone. As Riza looked at Roy, a slight frown appeared on her face. When she noticed Roy freeze and his eyes widen like that a few moments ago, she got frightened. She knew that human transmutation circle and was sure he was thinking about what happened during the Promised Day. She felt uneasy when she saw it too.   
  
"I think it's best if we continue looking around tomorrow," Scar said suddenly, making Riza lose her train of thought. "It's going to be harder to find them in the dark."  
  
One look at the setting sun and Riza knew Scar was right. It would be a good idea if they stop their search for the day.  
  
"We should find a dwelling to stay for the night," Riza said, standing up. Roy and Miles got up form where they were sitting soon after. "One shouldn't be too far from here."   
  
With that said, everyone headed off to find some dwellings. Even though many of the buildings were damaged, Riza could tell if one used to be a house. While looking around for one, she suddenly heard footsteps. Riza turned around, only to see nothing.   
  
"Something the matter?"   
  
Blinking, Riza faced Roy and saw concern in his eyes. “I thought I heard footsteps. You didn’t hear anything?”  
  
“No, I didn’t,” Roy said while shaking his head.   
  
“Wait,” Scar said, realization dawning on him, “if Hawkeye heard something, then the Ishvalans should be close by.”   
  
“Like Mustang, I didn’t hear anything.” Miles took off his goggle glasses and stared at Riza. “Are you sure about what you heard?” he asked her.   
  
Riza gave Miles a nod. “Positive.”  
  
“Either way, we should still keep an eye out just in ca…”  
  
Roy was unable to finish his sentence when, without warning, two men snuck up and pinned him on the ground with great force. Taken aback by the suddenness of this, Riza had her hand on her gun. She almost pulled it out from the holster, but Scar held out his hand in front of her. From what she could tell from the Ishvalan’s face, he seemed a little shocked over what happened to Roy too.   
  
“Wait,” Scar told her and then turned his head to stare at the men holding Roy. “Are the both of you around here?” he said to them.  
  
Having a better glimpse at them, Riza’s face turned pale. The two men had white hair and red eyes.   
  
One of the men nodded and said, “The both of us overheard that there are intruders here, so we came to see ourselves.” He paused, narrowing his eyes at Riza and Miles. “You all are from the military, right?” he asked in disgust.   
  
“Yes,” Roy said quickly through gritted teeth. “We are seeking to revise Amestrian policies to better suit the interests and needs of the native peoples of Ishval.”  
  
“Oh, really?” said the younger of the two, holding Roy down. “Who are you and who sent you here?”   
  
“I’m Brigadier General Roy Mustang and Fuhrer Niels Grumman was the one that approved of me coming here.”  
  
“Wait, you’re the Roy Mustang, the Hero of Ishval?” the older Ishvalan asked, looking at him suspiciously. “The Ishvalans here have heard about Amestris’s new Fuhrer and the government plans of rebuilding Ishval, but many of us are still skeptical about it. How we know you’re not here to harm us?”  
  
Riza glanced at Miles and Scar, the both of them seemed unsure what to do. Before Riza spoke, she made one bold step forward.   
  
“Let the Brigadier General go. He’s telling the truth.”  
  
The two Ishvalan men looked at one another briefly before giving each other a slow nod and releasing their hold of Roy, taking a few steps back from him. Roy stood back up.   
  
“Can you tell us your names?” Miles asked.   
  
“I’m Mek,” said the younger Ishvalan, pointing to himself. Before he continued, he pointed to the other man. “And he’s Adil.”  
  
“I heard that one of the Elders, Madam Shan, is still here,” Roy said. “Can you two take me to her?”  
  
“We’ll let you speak with Madam Shan,” Adil said, “but don’t expect her or the other Ishvalans here have mercy on you, Mustang.”  
  
When both of the men began walking, Riza and the others followed. Roy mentioned to her a while back that the talks with the Ishvalans wouldn’t be easy, and so far things weren’t off to a great start.


	4. Chapter 4

The sky faded to twilight, and one by one the stars began to shine. Roy and his group were following Adil and Mek as they were taking them to Madam Shan and the other Ishvalans. While everyone was walking, Roy felt his heart racing. Soon he would be facing the people he wanted to make amends with; all the different ways the meeting could go wrong played through his head like the scenes from a radio drama.    
  
A few more minutes flew by and when everyone entered an area where many collapsed buildings were spread out, Adil and Mek halted the group. Roy recognized those as the houses, the ones he, Riza, Miles, and Scar were looking for earlier. He gazed around for a bit until Adil spoke.   
  
“Madam Shan and the others should be eating dinner by this time,” Adil said. “We’re not far from them now.”   
  
The dark skinned men began walking again, the others following suit. They passed the dwellings and Roy’s mind drifted once more. He wondered what the housing in Xerxes was like in the past. Not only that, he was interested in how the Ishvalans were able to settle here.    
  
It wasn’t long until the two Ishvalans stopped again with Roy, Riza, Miles, and Scar. The four looked around and their mouths collectively fell open. Out on the open space there were several Ishvalans scattered around a roaring fire, eating dinner and talking amongst themselves in hushed voices. Roy believed there were around thirty of them outside. In an instant, one woman turned her head and noticed them. She beamed.   
  
“Adil, Mek! They’re back!” Upon hearing her, all of the Ishvalans stopped eating and turned to look where the two men with Roy and his group stood. The woman dashed towards Mek and embraced him. “Are the both of you all right?”    
  
“Yes, dear Esha, we are.”    
  
As soon as the two parted, Esha gave Roy and the others a sharp look, her demeanour changing immediately. He noticed the Ishvalans staring at him coldly. Roy caught a glimpse of Miles, Scar, and Riza, all of them staring straight ahead and standing strong. But he could feel their uneasiness.   
  
“Brigadier General Mustang informed us that Fuhrer Grumman sent him here to talk with us,” Adil told Esha, pointing his finger at the Brigadier General.    
  
A few Ishvalans began conversing with one another. No shock to Roy that they recognized that name. He could tell from their tones that they were suspicious as to why he wanted to negotiate with them now.   
  
“My sister and father were killed by your men,” Esha looked Roy straight in the eye. “How do I know you can be trusted?” More mutterings from the Ishvalans resonated in the Flame Alchemist’s ears.   
  
Roy was at a loss of words for a moment. It should be easy to say he wouldn’t harm anyone, but would they believe him? Before he had a chance to think of something, someone suddenly spoke.    
  
“Esha, that’s enough.”   
  
The Ishvalans grew quiet when an elder lady and a young boy helping her walked slowly toward them. One feature of her that stuck out the most for Roy was the eye-patch covering her left eye. No doubt she had gotten that injury from the war. The woman and boy halted in front of Esha.   
  
“Madam Shan!” Esha’s eyes flickered with fright, but she made no haste in bowing to her. “I’m sorry for my harsh questions. Please forgive me.”   
  
“Watch your words next time. I won’t have you or anyone else bringing shame to the name of Ishvala.”    
  
_So this is the Elder, Madam Shan_ . He couldn’t explain, but she had that intimidating air around her. When the old woman finally looked at Roy with what appeared to be great curiosity, he swallowed nervously.   
  
“So you’re Brigadier General Roy Mustang?”    
  
“Yes, that’s me,” Roy said, nodding.    
  
A brief silence followed. If he could explain the look she was giving him now, it seemed she was displeased with him suddenly coming to Xerxes.    
  
“You and your men must be hungry. Care to eat with us?”    
  
Roy wasn’t expecting her to invite him for dinner. He turned around to see if his men were okay with this; they all looked just as surprised but nodded. Roy swung his head back and smiled gently at Madam Shan.   
  
“We would like that, Madam Shan.”    
  
“Good. You may sit there.”    
  
Madam Shan gestured towards a large stone in the middle, not far from where the fire was but a safe distance from it. Roy and everyone else sat down there before two Ishvalans gave their visitors water and bowls of soup. He tried some of the soup, which tasted spicy, but he liked it nonetheless. The meat and carrots in it were very soft.    
  
“So General Mustang, why are you here?” Madam Shan asked. She and the boy were still standing.    
  
Roy cleared his throat before speaking. “Well, as you probably overheard from Adil, I came here to talk with you and your people.” Roy stopped for a second, choosing his words carefully. “For the past four months, I have been at work revising the old Ishval Policies, and negotiating to return all your land to you.”   
  
“Ah, so I heard. I know a couple districts were already opened, but many more are still closed. Shouldn’t all of them be opened by now?”   
  
“It’s easier said than done. The reopening of each one has to be approved by the higher military staff.”   
  
“Oh, so the military are still occupying our land?” one of the younger Ishvalans spoke up angrily.   
  
The corners of Roy’s mouth twitched. Again, he had to choose his words carefully to not sound like he was the bad guy. After he was able to figure out how he’d approach the subject, Roy took a deep breath.   
  
“Technically they still occupy some of the districts. However, they are only there to oversee the reconstruction process and gather information from the Ishvalans living in the districts so that we can better revise the Amestrian Ishval Policies to better suit the needs and wishes of your people. I told the higher staff I want to call off military occupation in Ishval and return the homeland to its people. They are in full support of this, but thought it would be better if it’s done slowly as they want to be absolutely sure that the districts are stable and self-sufficient before reopening them and removing the troops.”   
  
A little after Roy had returned to the military, he had spoken to Fuhrer Grumman and the other generals about revising the Ishval policies. All of them believed if that were to happen it must be done with caution, which Roy agreed to some extent. There was still discrimination against the Ishvalans and he wasn’t counting on that to end soon. However, the Ishvalans would react badly as well—some of them then had to wait longer if they wanted to go back to their district.   
  
“That’s their reason then, huh?” another Ishvalan, this time a female that looked and sounded much older than Esha, said. “Figures. They’re more worried over their country breaking up than us.”   
  
This was what Roy was afraid of, the Ishvalans not taking kindly to the Generals trying to prevent a revolt. Their feelings over that were understandable, but he needed to convince them that changes were underway.    
  
“To be fair, Amestris is going under a huge reformation of its government and political system, so the other generals want to avoid a protest from its own people. I have an official letter from Fuhrer Grumman himself that explains everything.”    
  
The Brigadier General took out an envelope from the pocket of his military jacket and handed the letter to the elder Ishvalan before sitting back down. Roy gazed at Madam Shan as he drank more of his soup, trying to figure out what was going on in her mind. He was hoping at least she didn’t think what Grumman wrote in the letter was all garbage.    
  
“To be honest, I’m still not sold on the country making sure Ishval gets all of its land back,” Madam Shan said after finishing the letter and giving it to Roy. “As I said, I do hear some rebuilding is in order, but that’s not enough.”    
  
All the Ishvalans voiced out their agreement. Roy cringed a little, not liking how the discussion was going thus far. He glanced at Riza, Scar, and Miles, the two men looking uncomfortable too while Riza frowned. The Ishvalans quieted themselves, but it took a while for them to settle down.   
  
“Is there anything else you want to talk about or let us know?” the boy next to Madam Shan asked.   
  
At this point Roy wasn’t sure what else he could say.    
  
“There’s actually one question I want to ask you,” Mek said as he looked at Roy. “As you probably know, all of us are aware of what you did in Ishval. Why are you doing this now?”   
  
That part of the conversation Roy knew would come sooner or later. The Ishvalans were all watching him attentively, waiting an answer, and Roy felt uncomfortable beneath their gaze.    
  
“What I did in Ishval was terrible, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t remember and regret it. I can rationalize that all I was doing was following orders all I want, but that doesn’t change anything. But there is something I can do now. I can revise the Amestrian-Ishval Policies; I can rebuild the towns, I can give you your land back, and I can make sure that something as terrible as the Ishval Extermination never happens again.”   
  
“Just because you’re doing this doesn’t mean we’ll forgive you,” Madam Shan said.   
  
“I know and I’m not asking for that. What I’m asking from all of you is a chance to make the changes happen.”    
  
After Roy paused, the Ishvalans talked quietly amongst themselves. They seemed to have done that a lot tonight, he mused.    
  
“If I may,” Scar spoke for the first time since they sat down. “I can’t bring myself to forgive Mustang for what he did during the Ishval Extermination, but I’m willing to let him go through with his plans.”   
  
“That’s easier said than done.” Closing her eyes, Madam Shan said, “You’re going to need to prove yourself if you want us to accept that.”   
  
“Those changes won’t happen overnight --”   
  
“And I’m well aware of that. Perhaps you need to realize that we won’t trust you until after we see some progress,” Madam Shan interrupted.   
  
Roy grimaced. The conversation had turned tense, and he knew now that she had decided from the very beginning that he wasn’t going to accomplish anything.    
  
“If you don’t mind me jumping into this discussion,” Miles said after standing up, “Mustang wants me to overlook the changes in Ishval.” The Lieutenant Colonel took off his glass goggles, his red eyes bright and fierce.    
  
Roy took a quick glance at the Ishvalans, each one appeared to be shocked as they whispered intensely to one another. He glimpsed at Madam Shan, an astounded look appearing on her face.    
  
“Ah, so there’s an Ishvalan in the military. I thought they were not allowed to become Amestrian soldiers.”    
  
“I was lucky to be stationed at Briggs as Lieutenant General Armstrong hadn’t confined me or sent me to the internment camps.” Before Miles continued, he put his goggles back on. “I’ll understand if you still feel unsure about Mustang being in charge of the changes. Speaking as an Ishvalan myself, though, I wouldn’t have agreed to help him with this if I didn’t think he had the Ishvalans’ best interest at heart.”   
  
Madam Shan didn’t say anything, giving Miles a long stare. Roy assumed the old woman wasn’t fond of an Ishvalan dressed in military uniform. A chuckle escaped from her.    
  
“I find it hard to believe you would still be in the military after what happened to your people. Do you feel any resentment at all?”   
  
“I admit that it was difficult at first, but realized I could do more for Ishval by remaining in the military.” Miles smirked. “One of the reasons why I stayed in the military is so I can change the Amestrisans’ opinions of the Ishvalans.”   
  
“I see. As much as I wish for that to happen, I feel they’re still not ready to embrace us yet.”   
  
“Well surely you don’t think all Amestrians are bad?” Riza said, also joining in the discussion.    
  
“No, I don’t,” Madam Shan answered, a small smile curled around her lips. “I’m pretty sure you heard of the Rockbells, correct?”    
  
“Yes we have,” Riza said in a low voice.    
  
Roy glimpsed at her, seeing sadness in her eyes. He remembered when Riza told him how she found out Winry Rockbell’s parents were murdered by Scar from Edward.    
  
“They saved my life and the lives of many others, and for that I am truly grateful.” The smile on Madam Shan’s face disappeared. “And if I’m not mistaken, the person that murdered them is the one sitting next to you?”   
  
Madam Shan pointed to Scar, who instantly turned pale. Roy too grew stunned as he wondered how she knew that. Had she known who he was all along?   
  
“I recognized that on your right arm and your face is scarred very badly. I remember back then your face was bandaged.” She stopped shortly to take a deep breath. “I know the sins you have committed, Scar, killing many State Alchemists for revenge. Since you’re with Mustang now, I’m curious as to why you’re helping him.”   
  
“Miles is actually the one that wanted to take me to Ishval and Mustang approves of it. I want to revive our culture. I want to save my people with my own hands. I want to repent.”   
  
“I’m glad you want to keep our religion and culture alive, Scar, but don’t think Ishvala will forget your past actions. Don’t expect to win my support so quickly: I’ll believe it when I see it.”   
  
Scar and Miles gave one another a quick glance. “We’re fine with that,” Scar said.    
  
Another moment of silence fell upon them. Roy looked at Madam Shan: she seemed to be deep in thought.    
  
“I think I’ll have this meeting end right now, Brigadier General Mustang. There is no more to be discussed.”   
  
“I’m glad that we were able to have this discussion,” Roy responded, hiding his disappointment as he spoke.   
  
“You must understand that trust takes time. Maybe I’ll have more faith in you the next time we meet.”   
  
Roy hoped that would happen too. He realized that it was pretty late in the evening, too dark to be riding in the desert.    
  
“Is it all right if my men and I sleep here for the night? I promise we’ll leave promptly tomorrow morning.”   
  
“There is one house you all can stay in. Follow me.”    
  
Madam Shan gestured for Roy, Riza, Scar, and Miles to follow her, which they did.    
  
+++    
  
The house that the group was staying at turned out to be a collapsed one that had been restored. There were already a couple beds ready, which Riza figured the Ishvalans had made themselves. Everyone immediately crawled into bed and fell asleep, exhausted not only from travelling, but from the meeting as well.   
  
The next morning Riza woke up to found herself the only one in the house. She blinked, wondering where everyone was. Clearly Roy, Miles, and Scar weren’t going to leave without her, so most likely they were waiting. Riza rushed outside to find them, but stopped when she caught Roy looking up in the sky.   
  
“General?”   
  
Roy swung around, looking blank. “Oh, morning.”   
  
“Where are Miles and Scar?”   
  
“They’re getting the horses ready and should be back to get us soon.”   
  
The both of them turned quiet, Roy looking up again while Riza stared at him. She could tell he was reflecting on the meeting with Shan last night. When the Elder said there was nothing more to talk about, Roy was pretty upset and Riza had admitted that she was too. The Captain did think he was asking a lot but wished Shan would give him a chance to make those changes, however the elder lady was right when she said trust takes a while to be formed. A thought then occurred to her.    
  
“You considered coming back here when more of the reconstruction has been completed?” she asked Roy.    
  
“Yes, of course,” Roy said. “I’m unsure, though, how our next meeting will go.”   
  
Riza offered him a sad smile. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself.”   
  
“Perhaps.” Roy chuckled, but his expression turned sour. “Nothing else to do but keep focusing on my plans.” He was silent for a moment, then said suddenly, “You think I made the right decision in using the Philosopher’s Stone to regain my eyesight back?”    
  
Riza gave him a strange look. “Are you having doubts?”    
  
Roy sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Last night hadn’t turned out the way I wanted. Makes me question if what I did was right.”    
  
Lowering her head slightly, Riza’s eyes fell to the ground. She figured Roy was concerned about that and wanted to let him know he shouldn’t have to be. Riza lifted her head to offer him a supportive smile.    
  
“I think you’re doing fine so far, sir. Again, it’ll take time, but I’m sure the Ishvalans will open up to you, eventually.”   
  
Riza’s heart jumped. A part of her wanted to slap Roy for saying that, but she held herself from doing that. Before speaking, she had her eyes fixed on his.    
  
“Not everyone is going to let you move forward with your plans, no. Still, there will be those that will appreciate you for your efforts. It hasn’t even been half a year yet since we started revising the Amestrian Ishval policies and already you think another person should do this. Don’t you think it’s a little ridiculous?”   
  
There was a short pause between the two military officers. It wasn’t long before Roy smiled back at her.    
  
“You’re right. I was being too hopeful, I guess.”    
  
“No one else is more fitted to do this than you, Roy.”   
  
When Roy’s smile widened, Riza gave one of her own. She knew Roy might still have some doubts, but at least he felt a little better now. They were like this for sometime until Riza heard footsteps approaching. She turned around to see Scar and Miles in front of her and Roy.    
  
“Scar and I have the horses ready back at the fountain. We should be able to get back to Daliha sooner as we’re leaving earlier,” Miles said.    
  
“The sooner, the better,” Roy replied.   
  
Riza hadn’t said anything, but agreed with Roy. After what happened last night, it was best to leave Xerxes as soon as possible. Everybody wasted no time getting away from the dwelling and to their horses.    
  
  
+++   
  
The return trip to Daliha took two days and Roy was glad that he and Riza were back in their room. Riza was on the phone with Fuery while Roy stared outside, deep in thought.    
  
The meeting with the Ishvalans in Xerxes hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped. He didn’t expect everything to go smoothly. It also seemed Madam Shan had given him a tough time by asking him especially difficult questions. Roy was worried about returning to Xerxes in the near future, but after talking with Riza he became a bit calmer about that.    
  
Roy heard Riza hang up on the phone and that caught his attention. “Fuery said Gunja is progressing nicely and he, Ross, and Breda will be heading back to Central tomorrow morning.”    
  
“That’s good to hear,” Roy said, frowning. He was glad to hear that news, but his mind was still stuck on Xerxes.   
  
Riza nodded and then the two fell silent. Roy was certain she had that on her mind for a while too.    
  
“There’s nothing to be worried about as we concluded earlier.”   
  
Roy looked at her in gratitude. He was glad Riza snapped him out from his disappointment over the meeting, unlike him to be upset like that.   
  
“I’m sorry for overreacting. I expected I wouldn’t be welcomed, but not in that kind of way.” He smiled a little. “Now I think about it, the meeting went as well as it could have been.”    
  
“There’s no need to apologize.” Roy’s throat hitched when Riza leaned in to kiss his cheek. “We’ll have to deal with more of those against us, but we’ll get through.”   
  
Relief washing over him, Roy’s face softened. He couldn’t think of anything else to say, so instead he sealed Riza’s lips with his. Without a second thought he took off her hairclip and ran his hands through her hair, which wasn’t as soft as he remembered but that was fine. Their kissing became rushed but desperate as they shed off each other’s uniforms. 

 

Eventually the both of them were wearing nothing and Roy had Riza against the headboard as he sucked on her neck. The pleased grunts she made had Roy’s blood rushing. At the back of his mind, he wondered if it was right for them to be doing this now; at this point he didn’t care.    
  
He took action once more by kissing her on the lips and slid his hand down to her thigh. When he felt Riza’s fingertips dancing on his back, he was reminded how those fingers could pull a trigger of a gun and kill anyone wanting to take his life, kill  _him_  if he strayed away from his path. They made themselves too vulnerable when they were together like this.    
  
Not wanting to think about that anymore, Roy released her lips so he could kiss her neck again and began thrusting inside her. Riza’s moans of his name, as if it was a secret only she knew, kept drawing him in and he was content with their downfall. 


	5. Chapter 5

There was a visible hole on his forehead where the bullet had entered, blood splattered on his tunic and striped sash. His red eyes stared straight at the sky, as if he was looking into the eyes of his God. His white hair and brown skin were caked with dirt.   
  
Riza stared down with stunned eyes at the first person she had shot to death, unable to control her hands from trembling; she gripped her rifle tighter. Next to Riza, a young man, Collins, looked impressed. He was also holding a rifle.   
  
“Wow, that’s a nice shot there! You got him good. I heard you were talented, but whoa! Riza?”  
  
Riza remained silent and shell shocked, her mind still focusing on the man. He was skinny and young, most likely a scholar and not a warrior. She imagined him studying his people’s culture and religion, always reading a book or holding strong philosophical and idealistic discussions about things like human nature, politics, and life. Her stomach jumped as she realized that this man had a bright future and she had ended that for him.   
  
“Maybe I was too hasty,” Collins said in a low tone. Riza didn’t turn to see him frown. “However, we’re snipers and our targets are sure to be dead in an instant.”  
  
Somehow the hole on the forehead grew bigger, but it was probably her imagination. The blood on the man’s shirt dried up and grew darker in color. The mud on his skin and clothes turned to dirt. His red eyes still stared straight at the sky, stared straight at God.   
  
“Hey, are you okay?”  
  
No words came out of her. Riza thought it was terrible that he had to set aside his books to pick up a weapon to defend his life with. She on the other hand could shoot with no problem—how ironic. Before shooting him, she saw him with a rifle, his hands shaky and unsure how to use it.  
  
“Talk, Riza.”  
  
He was a slim, young Ishvalan with a bullet in his head and his future stripped away from him. His red eyes  _still_  stared at the sky, but somehow they pierced through her soul too.   
  
“Please talk, Riza. Riza. Riza!”  
  
Not wanting to gaze at the man she shot anymore, Riza closed her eyes. She tried to forget her surroundings.   
  
 _“Mindless soldier, not having second thoughts about shooting me.”_  
  
Riza tensed; that didn’t sound like Collins at all. She looked back down, seeing the corpse remain still. No, the dead shouldn’t be able to speak. Riza then gasped in fright when she noticed his hand twitching while his eyes were still rolled over. After the dead man slowly got up, he took a few steps towards her and halted. She swallowed hard.  
  
“Mindless soldier, not having second thoughts about shooting me,” he repeated.   
  
“I’m not a mindless solider,” Riza stuttered.   
  
“If you’re not a mindless solider, then why did you kill me?”   
  
Riza wanted to say she had been thrown into the battlefield and that it was orders, but couldn’t get the words out. The Ishvalan gripped Riza’s shoulders and kept shaking her at that instant, which caused her to freeze and unable to get way.  
  
“Give me my life back! Give me my life back! Give me my life back!”   
  
+++  
  
What jolted Riza awake with a sharp gasp, her chest heaving in rapid succession. Once she was able to control her breathing again and look around her surroundings, she was no longer out in the desert in the blistering heat and in her uniform. Instead she was in a room of an old hotel building and wearing nothing. Beside her, Roy, just as naked as she was, stirred and gazed at her with sleepy eyes.

  
“Riza, are you okay?” Roy asked lazily, still not fully awake.   
  
Riza’s heart jumped. She felt bad waking Roy up and wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk to him about it. Then again, it might be a while until they were able to fall asleep again. She lowered her head and sighed.  
  
“It has been a while since I had those nightmares.”   
  
“Nightmares? You mean…”  
  
Before Roy could finish, Riza looked him straight in the eye and nodded. “Yes,” was all she could manage to say.  
  
As the silence lingered on, Riza closed her eyes and rolled over so that her back was facing Roy. She could hear the barking of dogs from outside, so she paid attention to that for a while to distract herself from thinking about the dream. It wasn’t long until the sound of the bed creaking caught her attention and she felt Roy’s fingers tracing around her back, over the tattoo he had partially burned off. She shuddered, imagining him gazing on with distressed eyes. He stopped his motions and wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a gentle, warm kiss on her shoulder.   
  
“You said to me that the war will never be over as long as you live. It’ll never be over for me, either.”  
  
A sense of relief coursed through Riza’s spine. She of course knew he had those dreams too, which made her feel better that they both experienced the same thing. For years they had been living with the sins stuck on them like daggers on wood, but always continued marching on with fierce resolve.   
  
“It’s a good thing that we‘re still alive, then, Roy,” Riza finally said, smiling.   
  
“I want you to keep on living,” Roy told her. “I want  _us_  to keep on living.”  
  
Right after Riza spun around and locked her lips with Roy’s, she looped her arms around his neck while Roy placed his hands on her sides. They stopped a moment to catch their breaths and look at one another, Roy cracking a grin as Riza let out a soft laugh. Hearing him say they should keep on living was all she could ask for as comfort.   
  
+++  
  
The next day Roy left to go see Doctor Marcoh while Riza was at the bazaar. She was awed at the many vendors where people were selling a large variety of goods. Judging by the hollers she heard from the sellers, most of the items— there were mentions of clay pots, hand sewn garments, rosaries, and woven mats–weren’t too expensive. There was even a larger crowd outside where a vender was selling dessert cakes and chaanch. She continued looking around until…  
  
“Riza? Riza Hawkeye?”   
  
Riza froze and turned on her heels. Facing her was a red haired man that looked about the same age as her. She noticed the dirt scattered all over his buttoned shirt and black pants. Her eyes widened when she realized who he was.   
  
“Greg Collins? It’s been a while.”  
  
Collins grinned. “Almost seven years.” He looked at her curiously, as if he realized there was something different about her.” Wow, you have long hair now. It looks good on you.”  
  
Her heart stopped, but she was able to keep her face mostly straight, allowing only a small smile. “Thank you.”   
  
“Hey, do you want to catch up?” Collins asked after a momentary silence fell between them. “I know a great restaurant you might like.”  
  
Riza’s eyes were clouded with uncertainty at first. Roy should be back at the inn soon and she wanted to get there quickly. On the other hand, meeting with Collins was a great surprise and it would be a shame to not take advantage of that. More than likely it would be a short affair. She made her decision, she nodded.   
  
“Sure.”  
  
+++  
  
Collins took Riza to a newly opened eatery that served popular Ishvalan cuisine called  _The Great Red Sands_ . They had ordered onion soup and goat meat, which Riza thought tasted great. They came inside right at lunchtime, so there was already a huge crowd of people enjoying their meals and talking. Everyone including them sat down on cool stones.   
  
“So Collins, what you have been doing all this time?”  
  
“Well, after Ishval I got transferred to West Command and climbed my way up to First Lieutenant. Speaking of which, I heard you got promoted to Captain recently. Congratulations.”  
  
A small smile lit up Riza’s face. “Thanks, and congratulations on your promotion, too. A while ago I heard from one of my friends you and your family were at the ceremony.”  
  
The Captain hadn’t seen her old friend in a while, but was able to keep track of what was going on with him, spotting his name through gossip once in a while. Back in Ishval, she and Collins were snipers in the same unit. Riza was glad now to have a conversation with him.   
  
He laughed. “Yeah, my wife and son were ecstatic about it.” Collins paused with a thoughtful expression and stoked his chin with one finger. “How about you? You don’t have a family or at least a husband yet? I find it hard to believe a sweet, pretty woman like you being single.”  
  
Riza chuckled. “I would date someone once in a while, but I don’t have the time to have a relationship now.” Of course Riza was seeing Roy, whom she loved more than anyone else in the world, but she wasn’t going to tell Collins that; there was no need for him to know.   
  
The friends became quiet as they continued eating their lunch. It was then Riza realized she hadn’t asked him the one question that was bugging her since they entered the eatery.   
  
“Sorry to ask, but why you’re here in Ishval? I’m certain you know why I’m here.”  
  
“To help Mustang with rebuilding Ishval, yes. The reason I’m here is because my wife’s sister is married to an Ishvalan, and my family is visiting them.”  
  
That stopped Riza for a split second. This was something Collins hadn’t told her about when they were in Ishval and she wasn’t sure how to react.   
  
“How did your sister in law and her husband take it that you were assigned as a sniper and had killed many Ishvalans?” she asked, the only question she could think of at this time.   
  
“They were furious with me fighting in Ishval and didn’t want me to see them up north. As soon as this district was reopened, though, they moved immediately and my sister wrote to me asking that I come over.” A short chuckle escaped from the man before he continued. “When I first came here a week ago, the three of us talked and they told me while they still won’t forgive me for what I had done, they wanted to talk to me again and were willing to give me a second chance.”  
  
“We’re just soldiers doing our jobs, or that’s what I would like to think.” Riza stared down at the lassi, a yogurt drink that came along with the meal, and saw her reflection. For a second, her twenty year old self appeared, drained and distressed. “I can at least help the Brigadier General with restoring Ishval.” She looked back at Collins and smiled.   
  
“I’m sure you and Mustang will do just fine,” Collins responded and then beamed at her.   
  
+++  
  
Doctor Marcoh’s clinic wasn’t too far from the inn Roy and Riza were staying at. It was a two story building with the first floor where he would see the patients while the second floor served as his living quarters.  
  
When Roy entered the place the scent of incense welcomed him. He sat in a chair at the back of the room, where he was getting his eyes checked. Marcoh had him first read letters from a board, which he had no problem doing. Roy was then asked to follow the dot on the stick as Marcoh moved it from left to right several times—he was able to do that too. Other measures he had to do were tedious to him like walk in a straight line and balance with one foot, but that was normal procedure.   
  
“I heard about what happened in Xerxes from Scar this morning,” Maroch said as he shone a flashlight in Roy’s eyes. The younger man tried his best not to squint. “Sorry things didn’t go so well.”  
  
“It is to be expected,” Roy said in an indifferent tone. “I let them know I’m working on revising the policies and lived.”  
  
“Understandable the Ishvalans are skeptical of your plans for rebuilding their lands. At least you got the message across.”  
  
Roy stayed silent as Marcoh continued checking on his eyes. His mind drifted to a single thought---would negotiations go differently if he were blind? Would the Ishvalans say with confidence his punishment for being involved in the Ishval War had been handed to him already by God? Perhaps they might respect him more that he didn’t take advantage of their people’s lives for his gain?   
  
“Before I used the Philosopher’s Stone on your eyes,” Marcoh suddenly said, interrupting Roy’s train of thought, “you told me how your blindness made you saw those nightmares more clearly. “  
  
Roy flinched inwardly. “Yes, I remember telling you that. I hated every moment of it.”  
  
When he was blind the nightmares of him during Ishval played more clearly to him. The sights and sounds just felt too real to be true. Roy was then reminded of his time with Riza last night—seeing her terrified like that brought deep pain to his heart. His fingers touching the burn marks on her tattooed back, their heated kiss, the laugh that escaped her which he would give anything to hear again…all of those still burned inside his head. Indeed the war would never be over for them, but they were able to get by.  
  
He was snapped back to reality when Marcoh turned off the flashlight and set it aside on the table.   
  
“Everything looks in working order. There’s no sign of brain damage and your sight seems to be fine. I’m going to need you to come back here in a few months. I know you and your men will be busy in Central and seeing other Ishval districts.”  
  
“I can arrange another visit here, no problem. A lot can change during that time.” Roy wanted to say the changes would be good ones, but wasn’t counting on it.   
  
Marcoh nodded. “Good, then. Let me know in advance of the arrangements and then I’ll set up an appointment for you.”  
  
“I’ll be in touch, Doctor.”

+++

After finishing lunch, Riza and Collins were strolling around the market square and looking around the different vendors. There was silence between the two until Collins spoke.    
  
“Hey, I just realized this now. Where is Mustang? You two always seemed to be together.”   
  
“He’s getting his eyes checked now by a doctor friend.”   
  
“Oh yeah, I remember hearing Mustang was temporarily blinded. I forgot though, how he lost his sight in the first place? From what I heard, he saw something traumatic.”   
  
That caught Riza’s breath for a second. Not too many military personnel within Central Command know the true story behind how Roy lost his eyesight and then regained it. For now the story was that he had conversion disorder for quite some time.   
  
“You can say that,” Riza finally said. Collins wasn’t too far off from the truth.    
  
Riza and Collins continued looking around more vendors. The Captain had bought some bananas and peaches while her friend spent his money on corn and cabbages. It wasn’t long until they were done walking around and needed to go back to their respective places.    
  
“Well, I better head off now. It was very nice talking to you, Riza,” Collins said with a huge smile.    
  
Riza smiled back. “Same here. I do hope we meet again.”   
  
“If that happens, Mustang better be with you this time.”   
  
That made Riza let out a short laugh. “I’ll make sure of that. Take care.”   
  
Collins waved goodbye to Riza and dashed off to the left. Riza watched his back for a while until he was too far to see. Indeed, it would be great if Roy and Collins were to meet and get to know one another. It would be a while until that happened, but Riza didn’t mind. She made her way to the inn, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.    
  
+++   
Roy was reading a book while waiting for Riza to come back; it shouldn’t take the Captain long looking around the market square. Just then, Roy heard the jingle of keys and saw the doorknob turn. He smiled and closed the book when Riza came inside holding a bag.    
  
“Hey. What took you so long?”   
  
Riza set aside the bag on the table and turned to face him with a tiny smile. “You won’t believe this, but I met an old friend of mine. Greg Collins, sniper from my unit. I bumped onto him while shopping and the both of us went out for lunch and chatted.”    
  
“Collins, huh? He sounds familiar.”   
  
“He’s a First Lieutenant at West City Command now. I have to say, it was very nice to talk to him again. We got along really well back then.”   
  
“That’s great your day with him went well,” Roy said, grinning.    
  
“Thank you.” A grateful smile spread across Riza’s features. “How about you? Did your appointment with Dr. Marcoh go well?”   
  
“It did. He said my eyes are fine, but still wants me to come back in a few months to have them checked again.”    
  
“Really? Glad to hear that.”    
  
He beamed at her, choosing not to reveal all the things that had been weighing on his mind today as it would surely devastate her to know.   
  
+++   
  
The next day Roy and Riza left the inn and were putting their things in the truck. As soon as they were done both Miles and Scar appeared.    
  
“The both of you leaving already?” Miles asked.    
  
“We need to get back to Central now and get some paperwork done so that we can reopen more Ishvalan districts,” Roy explained. “Plus Fuery, Ross, and Breda are going to report to us on Gunja.”   
  
“I know. Hopefully some of the districts will be reopened soon so that Scar and I can watch over them.”   
  
“We’re doing our best,” Riza said.    
  
There was a short moment of silence from everyone.    
  
“Mustang, Hawkeye,” Scar said abruptly. “I’m sorry for how my people reacted to the both of you back in Xerxes.”    
  
“You don’t have to be. None of this is your fault, or Miles’s. They have a right to be skeptic.” From the corner of his eye, Roy saw Riza look at him with deep sympathy.    
  
“I’m not blaming myself,” Scar said, no hint of anguish in his tone. “I just wished things didn’t have to turn out that way, even if it is inevitable.”   
  
“Understandable,” he said, and stopped for a split second. “Take care, the both of you.”   
  
Everybody shook hands with one another and then Roy and Riza hopped into the vehicle. The driver was able to start the jeep quickly, so the two military officers were already off to the train station. During the ride Roy had no doubt Scar and Miles would do a great job overseeing the progress of Ishval, but hoped nothing bad would befall them.    
  
**End of Part One**

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter until sometime in August when both my betas look over Chapter Seven. Warning for instance of discrimination in this chapter.

_“In a revolutionary announcement today, Fuhrer Grumman announced that they will indeed be building a railroad to Xing. Talks with the Emperor Ling Yao are ongoing and while the project is still in the planning stage, the Fuhrer openly expresses his excitement and enthusiasm, saying he hopes this will be an 'opportunity for both countries to open trade and ally with one another.'  
  
“Not only that, the Fuhrer mentioned that plans for reopening more districts from the Ishval region are underway, specifically Atrij and Fuhada. When asked why it is taking a while for those two districts to be opened again, he commented that, ‘the reopening process is a slow one as we want to make sure they’re stable first, but rest assured that they will be opened and the remainder should follow accordingly.'  
  
“That’s all for today’s afternoon news at Radio Capital. Tune in again at eleven o’ clock for more news in Amestris.”_   
  
After Roy finished drinking his coffee, he got off his couch and turned off the radio on the table next to him before sitting back down. He was waiting for Riza as she was going to take him and Ross to work today. She should be here in a few minutes.  
  
Taking the last sips of his drink, Roy reflected. A little over three months had flown by and he thought that the changes concerning both Amestris and Ishval were coming along decently.   
  
Construction for the rail system that was to be joined with Xing just got started a week ago. Fuhrer Grumman asked for Emperor Ling Yao of Xing’s approval for this and it was still being negotiated. That would mean easier travel for people in both countries. It was expected that the railroad was to be finished early to mid-next year and Roy was excited for that.   
  
Besides that, Roy read from Miles’s latest report that the library being built in the Kanda district still had a lot of work to be done, but he expected the project to be finished on time. The Lieutenant Colonel still needed to talk with the Ishvalans to confirm if they were fine with books being loaned from Central Library, which Roy believed they would as long as the reading material was appropriate. Aerugo was also beginning to send in their supplies and technology to help out with Ishval. According to Miles, the neighbouring country’s assistance had helped progress the rebuilding exponentially. Roy was aware a lot of work still had to be done, but a little bit goes a long way.  
  
Roy was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door. He got up to open it and chuckled upon seeing Riza’s smiling face.  
  
“You ready to leave, Sir?”   
  
“I had been for a while now, just waiting up on you.”  
  
They shared a brief kiss, and Roy followed Riza out of his home and into her military car. Riza turned on the engine and pulled out beside the curb before letting the automobile take off.   
  
“You think Fuery and Breda are at the Central Library’s Sixth Branch right now?” Riza asked eventually.   
  
“They should be, yes. The two won’t come back to the office until early evening.”  
  
Central Library’s Sixth Branch consisted mainly of farming and agricultural books. Roy wanted Fuery and Breda to research more into the production of wheat and cotton, specifically on effective ways to harvest them. He couldn’t wait to hear from them later today.   
  
Riza made a slight nod. “It shall be interesting to hear what they find out.”  
  
“I’m sure it will.”  
  
+++  
  
First Lieutenant Ross’s apartment wasn’t far from Central Command, so it didn’t take long for them to arrive. While all three were heading toward the building, Roy let his gaze wander over the trees, now bare, and the fallen leaves that scattered around. The wind began blowing from the north as he glanced at the skies, which were becoming cloudy.  
  
“You think Breda and Fuery will be joining us for lunch today?” Ross asked when they reached the top of the stairs.  
  
“I don’t think so,” Roy said, shaking his head. “The Sixth Branch is several blocks from downtown, so they’ll probably get their lunch at an eatery nearby.”   
  
Riza looked at Roy, “So where are we eating again?”   
  
Roy opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a pair of voices from behind him. He stopped, Ross and Riza did the same.   
  
“Brother, are you sure you want to do this?”  
  
 _No, it can’t be_ …Roy’s eyes grew wide.   
  
“Yes, Al. I should’ve done this a few months ago before we left Cent… Oh, there you are, Mustang!”  
  
That caused Roy to flinch. He turned around to see two familiar young men in front of him and offered them a warm smile.   
  
“Hello, Alphonse. Hello, Fullmetal.”  
  
The last time Roy saw the Elric brothers was a couple days after he got his sight back. Before he and Riza left the hospital they went to Fullmetal and Alphonse’s room where they were resting, thanking them for saving everyone and wishing them good luck over in Resembool. Roy took a long look at Alphonse, who now had his body back and fully recovered; the younger Elric seemed quite healthy and pleased with himself. As for Edward, Roy noticed he had his arm back and…did he grow a few inches since he last saw him?  
  
“Great to see you, Brigadier General,” Alphonse said, beaming. He turned to face Ross and Riza. “It’s also nice to see the both of you, Lieutenant Ross and Captain Hawkeye.”  
  
“Glad you two are doing well,” Riza said, smiling back. Ross didn’t say anything but wore the same content look on her face.  
  
“What brings you two here at Central?” Roy asked the brothers after a short moment of silence.  
  
“My brother actually wants to talk to you about requesting to be in the research division of military,” Al replied.   
  
“The research division,” Roy said in slight curiosity.  
  
“I want to help out Winry and Granny” Ed responded. “I can’t use alchemy anymore, but I can still be a State Alchemist by doing research.”  
  
“True,” Roy said with a small smile.   
  
“So you’ll be able to make time to approve my request?”   
  
Roy gave a quick glance at Ross and Riza, both women nodding in approval. He then jerked his head back to smile at the brothers. “Both of you will come to my office right now and I’ll get the paperwork ready.”  
  
The brothers grinned at one another. As soon as Roy continued his way to headquarters, everyone else followed him.   
  
+++  
  
The request process was a simple but time consuming one. There were a few questions Roy asked Ed regarding why he wanted to be in the research division and some paperwork involved, so it took a little over an hour to get through everything. Once that was finished, Roy told Ed that when his request was approved he should receive a confirmation letter in the mail within the next month or so. They then shook hands.  
  
“It’s great you’re doing this for me, Mustang,” Ed said, a grateful look spreading across his face.  
  
“No problem at all,” Roy said. “I’m quite happy that you and Alphonse were able to accomplish what you set out to do.” It was hard for Roy to believe the Elric brothers had finally gotten their bodies back, and were no longer journeying all over Amestris. It was a concept he’d have to grow accustomed to.  
  
“Thank you,” Alphonse said.   
  
Roy smiled and then his eyes glanced at the clock---fifteen minutes before twelve. Suddenly having an idea, he looked at Ross and Riza.   
  
“Ross, Hawkeye, do you ladies mind if Edward and Alphonse join us for lunch?”  
  
“Sure, I have no problem with that,” Ross responded.  
  
“That’s all right with me,” Riza said shortly after.   
  
Edward gave Roy a concerned look. “Wait, are you sure you want us joining?”  
  
“Yes,” Roy said and nodded. “The both of you looked like you had a long train ride and could use a bite to eat.”   
  
Alphonse laughed embarrassedly and rubbed the back of his neck. “I am pretty hungry.”  
  
“Yeah, am quite hungry myself,” Edward said after chuckling. “All right, Al and I will join. We don’t plan to leave Central for another few hours, anyway.”  
  
“Great!” Roy said in satisfaction. “The three of us will be leaving for lunch now, so you can follow us to Hawkeye’s car.”  
  
+++  
  
Riza and the rest of the group were eating lunch at an al fresco that was a few blocks from Central Command. Everyone had ordered sandwiches and salad. Today there were many people outside and almost all of the seats were taken. She did her usual sweep of the area, identifying potential hiding spots for snipers that might be lurking in the area before taking her seat.  
  
Riza watched Edward and Alphonse enjoying their meal as she drank her water. This was the first time in a long while she saw the two look truly happy, which made her smile. She found herself wondering what the brothers were up to these past few months.   
  
“So Edward, Alphonse, what are you guys going to do now?” Riza asked.   
  
“Not sure yet,” Edward said. “I’m just content with settling down in Resembool for now.”  
  
When Riza heard Roy snort she narrowed her eyes at him. Too bad he hadn’t turned around to see her face.   
  
“You, settling down? I can’t imagine you doing nothing, to be honest.”  
  
This time Riza kicked Roy on the back of his leg, causing him to cry out in pain and narrow his eyes at her. Riza ignored the stare: he deserved it. Edward and Alphonse chuckled while Ross blinked.   
  
“So I hear you’re working for Mustang now, Ross! How’s that going for you?” Edward asked after a brief moment of silence from everyone.   
  
“I love it so far. Helping the Brigadier General with the revision of the Ishval policies has been a rewarding experience that I’m really happy to have a hand in.”   
  
“That’s great to hear,” Alphonse commented, looking pleased.  
  
“It is,” Edward agreed. His soft expression faded when he looked at Roy. “From what I hear from the news, the stuff going on at Ishval is going decently so far. I’m glad that you’re doing this.”  
  
Riza glanced at Roy, who seemed speechless but soon after he made a low chuckle.   
  
“I’m glad to hear that from you, Edward,” Roy said.   
  
“I really respect you for doing this, General,” Alphonse said.   
  
“Why, thank you, Alphonse.”  
  
Riza smiled. It was great to hear Edward saying something nice to Roy for once. That was short lived, though, when her eye caught a glint coming from a building—a glint she knew far too well. Riza’s heart rate skyrocketed.  
  
“Everyone, take cover!”   
  
Without taking any time to see them react, Riza grabbed Roy and Ed’s hands out of impulse and dragged them down onto the floor. Three shots rang out, the shattering of vases sounding out over the café. The other customers outside immediately began to panic and rush out of the area and into the street. Riza drew out her gun.  
  
“What the hell just happened?” Riza heard Ross ask. She moved her head slightly to see the First Lieutenant, also having her gun ready, looking to her for an answer, looking confused and frustrated. Al was next to Ross.  
  
“An assassination attempt on the Brigadier General,” Riza yelled over the noise of screaming and hurried, stomping footsteps.   
  
“I was wondering when this would happen,” Roy said, his voice a combination of irritation and expectancy.   
  
“There’s only one way to find out.” Edward stood up and gestured for the group to get up. They all hurried out of the al fresco.   
  
+++  
  
From the many years he had been in the military Roy Mustang had an idea he might gain some enemies, an assassination attempt crossing his mind several times. When Riza had screamed for everyone to take cover, his stomach jumped. Now he and the group left the al fresco, Riza and Ross covering his back as they were getting away, and just reached Riza’s military car.   
  
“Ross, get the General in the car,” Riza suddenly commanded to the First Lieutenant.   
  
Roy glared at Riza. “I give the orders around here, Hawkeye, and I say we go see who’s responsible.”  
  
“But your safety comes first, Sir. There could be more perpetrators lurking. We’ll search later.”  
  
“I agree,” Ross said immediately.   
  
Knew that Riza was right, Roy decided to not argue any further. “All right.”   
  
Ross opened the car’s front door before motioning her hand for Roy to get in, which he did. Edward sat next to the Brigadier General while Alphonse and Ross were at the back.  
  
“Is this the first time someone tried to assassinate you?” Alphonse whispered.   
  
Roy heaved in a deep breath. “Yes.”  
  
At that moment Roy saw Riza, who stood outside to keep watch, gave him a single nod. He and everyone else quickly got off the car and followed her. It wasn’t long until they returned back to the outside café.   
  
“Where were the shots fired from?” Roy asked, facing Riza.  
  
“From that building across the street.”   
  
Roy, Ross, and the Elric brothers turned to where Riza pointed and the Brigadier General could see someone aiming a rifle at him.   
  
“Everyone watch out,” Roy warned.   
  
Another few shots came, but Roy and his group kneeled down and were able to avoid it. The Brigadier General stood up suddenly, taking out his ignition cloth gloves and pulling them on, and snapped his fingers in the direction of the sniper. Flames burst open and blasted through the window. Roy heard a painful yell from the sniper, but when the fire cleared he was nowhere to be seen.  
  
“Fuck!” Ed cursed loudly. “Looks like he escaped.”  
  
“He’s probably still in the building,” Ross pointed out. “We need to get in there, quickly.”  
  
Roy nodded and everyone dashed towards the abandoned building. The entrance door was block with wood, but Al took action by slamming his hands onto the wood and creating a large hole with alchemy. He smirked.   
  
They all headed inside the building, the first floor was completely empty save for the dust. Roy had his gloved hand ready. There didn’t appear to be anyone inside, but the team remained alert.  
  
“Should we go to the second floor, sir?” the First Lieutenant whispered.  
  
“Yes,” Roy said, lowering his voice as well. “He should be hiding up there.”  
  
Alphonse was the first one to cautiously climb upstairs, everyone else following his lead. Roy was in the middle with Riza behind him and Ross covering the rear. When the five made it to the second floor, they were greeted by several desks scattered all over the room. Once more there was no sign of the sniper.   
  
Ed scanned the desks suspiciously. “Could he be under one of those desks?”   
  
Roy was about to say something, but Ed’s question was answered when suddenly someone with a pistol appeared and fired a shot.   
  
The next few moments went by in a whirl for Roy. The Brigadier General was able to dodge on time and quickly snap his fingers, sending flames in their attacker’s direction, careful to not overdo his alchemy, but the sniper dodged it easily and disappeared out of site. Riza and Ross fired a few rounds of their own, all of them missing until one last shot from Riza sent him to the ground. A painful groan escaped from him and Roy saw the man clenching his leg, a gush of blood already showing. He noticed some light burns on his arm too, nothing too serious.   
  
“Thanks, ladies,” Roy said, turning to smile at Riza and Ross appreciatively. Both women returned it. A serious look returned to his face as he turned to Edward and Alphonse. “I want you two to call HQ. Tell them there was an attempted assassination with what is believed to be the suspect injured and retained. Request for medical backup.”   
  
Edward and Alphonse did not hesitate and quickly rushed out of the room in search of a phone. Roy stared after them for a moment before looking back at the sniper and frowning. He was glad Riza and Ross didn’t kill him, which was to be expected. There were questions Roy wanted to ask his attacker, but that would have to wait.   
  
+++  
  
Back inside Mustang’s office, Edward and Alphonse were left alone to read magazines while the military personnel went about filing the case papers. Riza stole a glance at Ross and Roy, and noticed that, like herself, they both seemed unfocused.  
  
After the shooting incident, the sniper was taken to the nearest hospital. She, Roy, Ross, and the Elric brothers were then questioned by the military police about what happened and gave their accounts on the event to them. The police said once the man recovered a bit from the operation he’ll be questioned, but they’ll let them know as soon as they knew anything.  
  
Knowing it was going to be a while before more news of this case came, Roy had Edward and Alphonse stay for a while, and his two subordinates caught up on paperwork. Riza thought doing something productive would keep her mind off of what happened that afternoon, but it didn’t last long. The media would eat up Roy’s close call with an assassin tonight and tomorrow, for sure.   
  
Riza glimpsed at the clock—exactly half past six. Breda and Fuery should be coming back from the library soon. As if right on cue, Breda and Fuery barged inside. The two men put the books they had brought with them aside on a nearby desk and looked at everyone with relief.   
  
“Thank goodness all of you are all right,” Fuery said, sighing as his hand clenched the part of his shirt that rested over his heart.   
  
“We were coming back from the library and one of the military officers told us about the assassination attempt,” Breda explained. “That was some afternoon you had there, General.”  
  
Roy set his papers down and rubbed his forehead. “Don’t remind me. We have to wait a while for the military police to finish interrogating the sniper.”  
  
No one had said anything, but then all of a sudden Fuhrer Grumman and two military police officers joined inside. Everyone in the room stood straight and saluted, including Edward and Alphonse.   
  
“I heard what happened to you, Mustang,” Grumman said, returning the salutre crisply and getting straight to the point.   
  
“I anticipate it to happen eventually,” Roy said, frowning.  
  
“These police officers here told me they have some new information on the sniper.”  
  
One of the officers took one step forward and said, “His name is Mitchell Faywell and is currently unemployed, but he used to be part of North City’s military police force.”   
  
“He was from North City? Huh, didn’t expect that,” Riza said.   
  
“Apparently Faywell quit three months ago. One of the officers there mentioned something about him ‘not wanting to support his country anymore’ after the announcement of Brigadier General Mustang in charge of revising the old Amestrian Ishval Polices.”  
  
Riza’s throat hitched. That was when Amestris and Aerugo signed the peace treaty. It was hard to believe someone would quit over that announcement—there had to be more to that reason than its face value, but she decided to let it go for now. Her eyes were fixed on both Roy and Fuhrer Grumman’s fallen faces.  
  
“What else did you find out about him?” Alphonse asked curiously.   
  
“We checked his records real quick and he hasn’t committed any crimes until today. And well, actually…” the other officer trailed off for a second. “Mitchell requested to speak with you, Brigadier General Mustang, granted the Fuhrer gives you permission.”  
  
Roy was stunned by the request. She saw him steal a glimpse at Grumman.   
  
“I think you should go,” the Fuhrer decided. “You’ll get some answers out of him.”  
  
“All right, then.” Roy turned to face Alphonse and Edward. “When are you two supposed to leave?”  
  
“A couple of hours ago, actually,” Edward said. “The both of us can catch the next train leaving for Resembool.”  
  
“You boys need a lift at the train station? It’s pretty dark out right now,” Riza offered.   
  
“Nah, we’ll be fine, but thanks anyways,” Edward said with a smile.   
  
Alphonse gave everyone a grin. “It’s been fun talking with you guys again, though!”   
  
“We too enjoyed our conversation with the both of you,” Roy said. For the first time since after the assassination attempt, Riza caught a tiny smile on his face.   
  
“Be safe, then,” Breda said as everyone nodded. A part of Riza was worried about the boys, but she knew they would be fine.  
  
Edward and Alphonse waved everyone goodbye and walked out of Mustang’s office. Immediately after, Grumman came closer to Roy and patted him on the shoulder.   
  
“I already have a few military officers at the hospital standing guard. I’ll let them know you’re on your way.”  
  
Roy’s response was only a nod. The Fuhrer gave him a sad smile before he made his exit, the two officers following suit. He then looked at Riza.   
  
“I want you to take me to the hospital now.” Roy stopped there; there was no need for him to explain.  
  
“Right away, Sir.”  
  
The Brigadier General gave a brief sound of acknowledgement and turned to the rest of his team. “All of you, wait here until we get back.”  
  
The two quickly left the office, Riza not taking a moment to stop and glimpse at the others. There was no doubt in her mind that they were worried about them.  
  
+++  
  
It was a short drive from Central Military Headquarters to the hospital. As soon as Riza parked the car, the both of them quickly entered the building.   
  
Roy knew his attacker stayed on the third floor, so they took the elevator. When the elevator door opened and they stepped out, Roy saw a nurse busy talking on the phone. He then noticed two lower rank military men standing guard in front of the first door on the left. Both of them had already noticed them and saluted.   
  
“Brigadier General Mustang, sir!” one of the soldiers said firmly. Lowering his voice, he said, “Fuhrer Grumman told us to expect you.”  
  
“The man’s room is this one, right?” Roy pointed to the door. The two military officers nodded. “Thank you men, at ease.”   
  
Roy opened the door and upon entering the room his eyes fell onto Mitchell Faywell, resting on the hospital bed. Exhaustion stretched the patient’s features, but he seemed to not be intimidated by his presence.   
  
“So Grumman’s letting you have a stab at me, huh, General Mustang?”  
  
Ignoring the comment, Roy looked him straight in the eye. “Mitchell Faywell, correct?”   
  
“Correct.” Mitchell coughed.   
  
“I have a few questions to ask you.” Roy paused to consider his words. “Why did you attempt to assassinate me?”  
  
A smirk crossed Mitchell’s features. “You’re helping those dirty good for nothing Ishvalans have lives again.”   
  
Roy’s heart fell. It wasn’t a surprise that there were people who wouldn’t accept the Ishvalans being accepted into Amestrisan society, but it angered him to hear it so bluntly.   
  
“What do you have against the Ishvalans?”  
  
“My brother and sister were killed by them. Do Captain Velma and Second Lieutenant William Faywell ring a bell to you? They were killed not long after Bradley had the State Alchemists finish the Ishvalans off.”  
  
Pondering over this, the Brigadier General thought it was safe to say he didn’t recognize those names. During the war, too many of his subordinates and comrades died and were replaced. Rinse and repeat. Roy lost track, so he couldn’t remember everyone’s names. Perhaps the Faywells were one of those. He shook his head.  
  
“No, I don’t know them. I’m sorry for their losses, but it’s not right for you to discriminate against the Ishvalans for deaths that happened as a direct result of our orders to exterminate them.. We killed far more of them than they did of us.”  
  
Mitchell gave out a short chuckle and said, “It’s ironic that you’re the one that killed the most of them and yet you’re also the one in charge of the revisions.”  
  
This time Roy just stared at him. He hated being reminded of his past mistakes. “You’re right that it’s ironic.”  
  
“Oh, but it is. Tell me then, what’s the real reason for you doing this? Is it to erase the sins you’ve committed? Trying to get the Ishvalans to forgive you?”  
  
“Neither,” Roy responded quickly.   
  
“I see.” There wasn’t a hint of emotion in Mitchell’s voice.  
  
Roy waited for Mitchell to say something more, but no words. Continuing with the integration, he asked, “Was that rifle yours?”   
  
“That was William’s rifle.” Mitchell shrugged. “He’s the one who taught me.”  
  
“So your brother was a sniper as well?” Roy stole a glance at Riza. As usual, her face didn’t betray discomfort, but he could tell she had tensed a little.  
  
“Yep. He was killed by Ishvalan Warrior monks, it seems. I wouldn’t be surprised if your loyal bitch was the one that replaced him.”   
  
Unable to contain his rage, Roy grabbed the hem of Mitchell’s hospital gown and glared down at the man. The shout of “Sir!” from Riza escaped his ears.   
  
“That’s  _Captain Riza Hawkeye_  to you.” Roy said through gritted teeth, “Don’t ever think that you have the right to call her by anything else.”  
  
“Or what?” Mitchell challenged, seeming unfazed. “Face it, you don’t have the guts to hurt me, especially in a hospital.”  
  
As much as Roy hated the man and wanted him to be wiped from the face of the earth, he was right. He couldn’t bring himself to hurt Mitchell as that would be unprofessional, and would reflect badly on him. He was walking on thin ice already, and Riza would not hesitate to shoot him if he fell through.   
  
“And that’s the difference between you and me, I don’t believe in violence as a solution.” Roy loosened his grip and took a deep breath to calm himself before asking another question. “Were you a supporter of Bradley and the Ishval Extermination?”   
  
“Yes. Those dirtbags think they’re better than us. Ishvalans are jealous so they label alchemy as taboo. Because of that, they can’t possibly measure up in war, in art, or anything! They’re worthless, a complete waste of space and resources. They’re not even worth the air they breathe. Bradley had the right idea. Eliminating them was the best thing we could have possibly done for our country—no, the world. After the news of Velma and William’s deaths, I won’t hesitate to hurt anyone who supports the Ishvalans.”  
  
Roy was taken aback.  _So he’s been holding this grudge almost eight years_ , he realized.  
  
“I was the first person you attempted to assassinate, then.” This wasn’t a question.  
  
Mitchell nodded and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Speaking of Bradley, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were the one that was responsible for his death.”  
  
His heart skipped a beat, and his whole body tensed. He shouldn’t be surprised hearing accusations like that. He could understand how he had come to that conclusion (he did lead the rebellion back during the Promised Day, after all) but actually hearing it come out of someone’s mouth was something else entirely. He sighed.  
  
“I had nothing to do with that.”  
  
“So you say, but that doesn’t mean the truth won’t come out sooner or later. Consider yourself lucky, Mustang.”  
  
Roy stared him down for a long moment before saying, “This concludes our meeting. I never want to see your face again.”  
  
He slowly turned and left the room, Riza following behind. The two soldiers outside stood to attention and saluted him as he passed, but he was too angry to notice.   
  
+++  
  
It had been a few minutes since they had gotten in the car, and neither of them had spoken a word. Riza kept herself from tapping the steering wheel.   
  
She reflected back on Roy’s interrogation with Mitchell, most shocking to her was when the man accused of Roy being Fuhrer Bradley’s murderer. Despite Mitchell lying, it still felt unsettling to hear that from him. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Roy suck in a deep breath.  
  
“I can’t believe Mitchell is convinced I murdered Bradley.”  
  
“He has nothing to back up his claim, so I wouldn’t worry about it.”  
  
“I’m more afraid there are others who think the same.”  
  
The two fell silent again, and Riza gazed out the window. There was already a full moon and people were heading. She and Roy needed to get back to Headquarters to catch up on some work that was delayed due to the assassination incident. Riza glanced at Roy’s tired face, well aware he wanted this day to be over with—she did too.   
  
“We should head back,” Riza said. “The others are waiting for—”  
  
Riza wasn’t able to finish speaking when Roy suddenly sealed her lips with his, his hand on the back of her neck. A second later the two parted and Riza saw Roy’s eyes lower in sadness. Without saying anything, Roy nodded at her. Riza knew it was his signal for them to leave, so she started the engine and drove back to their workplace. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And got the last three chapters done! We're close to the ending!

It was late at night in Central and everything outside was quiet. That was fine by Niels Grumman as it meant people would be less likely to notice him, even though he had a wig on and wore a dress. It had been a while since he had worn high heels, so his feet hurt. He eventually made it to an alley nestled between two apartment buildings. Niels scanned the area until his eyes found one particular building,  _Red Daisies_ , and he grinned and made his way over to it.   
  
When the Fuhrer entered the building, the scent of liquor and smoke welcomed him. He spotted Chris Mustang, talking to one of her girls, Vanessa, almost immediately. Chris sat on one of the stools while Vanessa was behind the bar wiping the counter. The two ladies stopped and smiled at him as soon as Niels approached.  
  
“Why Niels, what a pleasant surprise!” Chris smirked at the old man and snorted. “I see our leader is still into woman’s clothing.”  
  
Niels laughed. “Hey, I don’t want anyone to spot me. Visiting here is the reason I don’t want to bring my bodyguards.”  
  
“You want anything to drink?” Vanessa asked after she finished cleaning and returned her dishrag to its place in the sink.  
  
“No need, but thank you for asking.” The Fuhrer stopped to take in his surroundings. The bar itself was nicely furnished, Niels liking the intricate woodwork decorating the trim. On the ceiling hung a small chandelier, giving the place some nice lighting. The walls were painted a shade of dark brown with several pictures of men and women dressed in formal wear scattered all over. Once Niels finished looking, he beamed at Chris. “My my, this new place looks much better.”  
  
“Yes, it is. Roy did promise me a better bar when I came back.”  
  
Once in a while Niels would go to Madame Christmas’s old bar –before Mustang blew it up last year—and discuss with her any new information they had for one another. Sometimes they would chat around a little too. Since he became Fuhrer, Niels wasn’t able to visit the new bar until now, but the Madame understood. She had been busy as well.  
  
“So how’s being Fuhrer going for you?”   
  
“It’s going great. I haven’t been getting much sleep lately due to having a lot of work cut out for me. It is to be expected, though.”  
  
“No doubt indeed,” Vanessa said with a nod, “especially with Amestris undergoing some huge changes now.”  
  
“And those changes I look forward to.” Changing the subject, Niels said, “Has Mustang been coming here?”  
  
“Twice after he got promoted,” Chris replied. “Roy-boy told me he had been preoccupied with Ishval and helping you out.” She paused briefly, which left Niels wondering what Chris was thinking. “I can’t believe it’s been a month already since he and Riza almost got assassinated.”  
  
Niels frowned and had his eyes lowered to the bar. Not long after that incident, Mitchell Faywell was charged with life in prison for the attempted murders of Brigadier General Mustang and Captain Hawkeye. He remembered being terrified by the possibility of losing the two of them. It was a relief that they weren’t hurt and that justice was served, but the Fuhrer still couldn’t shake off the idea that he almost lost them, especially Riza.  
  
 _My only granddaughter almost slipped away from me…_   
  
He felt bad not letting the Captain know she was related to him yet. That should have been done long ago, but Niels didn’t want Riza to think her being in the military and her promotions were from him. All of that changed after the assassination attempt—he wanted to get to know Riza better and for her to do the same with him. Neils decided to stop those thoughts right there for now.  
  
“Faywell wasn’t the first person to make his opposition to the changes with Ishval and Amestris known. Small rallies and protests are popping up everywhere. One or two happened recently right here in Central!” He shook his head and let out an annoyed groan. “At least so far all of them ended peacefully.”  
  
“Not everyone is ready to embrace the changes yet, but they’ll adapt,” Chris responded as she dragged the cigarette on her mouth. “Give them some time.”  
  
“I hope so.” Niels smiled a little. It was frustrating to deal with opposition to the rebuilding of Amestris despite knowing many people would not welcome it, but he was glad to hear it from Chris. He just needed to wait a while longer until things settled down a bit.  
  
“Speaking of Roy,” Vanessa said abruptly, “you’re going to meet him tomorrow, right?”  
  
Niels nodded. “He’s going to be one of the few generals in that meeting. I already mentioned to him one of the topics will be over the reparations owed to Aerugo.” An uneasy feeling settled inside his stomach. Something told him a huge argument would arise during the discussions and he wasn’t going to like that at all.   
  
+++  
  
Lieutenant Colonel George Miles was overseeing the construction of the library in the Kanda district. They were running a little behind and there was still a lot of work to do before the building itself was even completed. The roof still needed to be finished and the glass windows had to be put up. Not only that, the stairs and bookshelves needed to be built too. Despite those things, George believed the library would be finished on time. The Lieutenant Colonel was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard someone shouting his name.   
  
“George! George!”  
  
George turned around, mouth agape. A brunette woman waved at him, her buttoned blouse and pants passable for the desert heat. Without warning, she rushed to George and held him in a tight hug.   
  
“Edith? What are you doing here?”  
  
“I decided to come here for a surprise visit,” Edith said, giving him a light kiss on the forehead. “You didn’t expect it, did you?”  
  
George chuckled and shook his head. “No, I didn’t.”  
  
He and Edith had been married for almost five years now. She was an engineer up in North City. When George told her he would need to be in Ishval for a long time, she was very supportive of him and wished him good luck. They were able to communicate though letters and phone calls. There were times when George wondered if Edith felt alone without him, but knew that wouldn’t be the case as things were going great on her end.  
  
“I have to say, from what I have seen everything is looking great so far,” Edith said after the two were quiet for a short time. She released him from her embrace.   
  
“Why, thank you. We’re all working hard here.”  
  
“I can tell and all of that will pay off soon. I’m proud of you, my dear.”   
  
George’s grin grew wider. He was glad his wife was feeling as optimistic about it all.  
  
“Would you like some tea?” the Lieutenant Colonel asked. “I have some over at the house I’m staying at.”  
  
“Tea sounds wonderful.”   
  
George grabbed her hand and eagerly took Edith to where he was staying.   
  
+++  
  
“Here is your coffee and freshly baked blueberry muffin, Sir! That will be eight hundred cenz.”  
  
Roy smiled and paid for his breakfast before accepting the items from the lady behind the cash register. “Thank you, Fiona.” He gave her a nod before taking a seat close to the window.   
  
For this morning the Brigadier General decided to wake up early and go to  _Twenty-Fifth Street Bakery_ , a couple of blocks from Central Command, for breakfast. Roy missed the coffee and baked goods from that place as he had been too busy lately to visit there. He thought Riza actually might like the place, so Roy considered bringing her along to the bakery next time.  
  
While munching on his muffin, Roy thought about the upcoming meeting with Fuhrer Grumman later that afternoon. It was certain they would talk about how to deal with the debt owed to Aerugo. Out of the forty-four billion cenz needed to pay for war damages, less than seven billion had been paid so far since the peace treaty. Money was a little short at the moment not only due to the reparations but also because of the cost of rebuilding Ishval. Roy worried the state of the country’s economy would head for an unpleasant turn soon. He sipped some of his coffee and was about to steal another bite of his muffin, but stopped when he heard a male voice that he recognized too well.   
  
“Hey, Mustang! It’s been a while.”  
  
Jerking his head slightly, Roy smiled upon seeing a familiar face in front of him. “It has indeed, Charlie. What brings you here?”   
  
Like the Elric brothers, the last time he spoke to Charlie was after the Promised Day. He stayed in Central for only a few days to help out with the cleaning and then shortly after returned to East Command with his superior officer, Lieutenant General Stills, the new leader of that command station. Roy hadn’t heard much from Charlie since then.   
  
“In town on top priority mission. Code green is in effect.”   
  
The words made Roy smile, code green was military slang for “visiting the in- laws”.   
  
“Beta or delta?” he asked.   
  
“With the wife of course. Her parents are celebrating their fifteenth anniversary, an occasion that calls for the whole family to come and eat good food and get drunk.” Charlie stopped briefly, then said, “I was thinking, since I’m in Central I might as well go visit you and your team for a bit.”  
  
Roy chuckled. “So I guess you were about to head to Central Command, huh?”   
  
“Yes,” Charlie replied with a nod. “However, before I came to this bakery I bumped onto someone and was about to get him some coffee while he’s making a quick call at the phone booth.”  
  
“Oh?” Roy said, sounding interested. “Who, if you don’t mind me asking?”  
  
“You’ll see.”  
  
The men went outside after Charlie ordered two cups of coffee. They took several steps until Charlie halted and motioned his hand to the right at Roy. The Brigadier General swung his head and gasped. Waiting besides a phone booth was Havoc, holding a cane in one hand. He beamed at Roy.  
  
“Hello there, Chief.”  
  
Roy approached Havoc and shook his other hand. “It’s great to see you again.”  
  
“I was going to bring him along to Central Command with me,” Charlie said.  
  
“Since all of us are going there, why don’t you guys join me? We can visit the team before I have to go to Grumman’s meeting.”  
  
“Sure! I can’t wait to meet with the gang again,” Havoc said in excitement.   
  
Charlie’s face lit up with a grin. “I’m fine with that, too.”  
  
Roy gave the two a pleased smile and gestured both men to follow him. “I had someone dropped me at the bakery. He can take us to Central Command.”  
  
+++  
  
Riza and the rest of Mustang’s unit were pleasantly surprised when Roy entered the office with Havoc and Charlie. The Brigadier General mentioned how he met the two after finishing his breakfast. The Captain was happy to see Havoc and Charlie again.   
  
The visit itself was quite relaxing and enjoyable, which started with Charlie telling everyone what he had been up to lately, which mostly involved work and spending time with his wife. After three daughters they finally had a son, Franklin. Not long after it was Havoc’s turn and he mentioned the reason for his visit to Central was to come see his friends again.   
  
“The physiotherapist said I’m progressing very well and that the therapy should be over sometime in May, three months from now. He thinks I should still be careful and check with my doctor to make sure my spine is fine, though.”  
  
“That’s wonderful news!” Fuery said, a joyful expression crossing his features. “I guess soon you’ll get to move back to Central.”  
  
“I know my parents will be worried about me going back to the military, but they’ll be supportive too. I really miss working here, so you bet I’m excited getting back to work.” Havoc smiled sadly, but it disappeared when he looked at Ross. “Already used to working under Mustang, Ross?”  
  
“I am,” Ross said, eyes flickering happily. “Helping out with everyone here has been a real joy and am glad to be in this team.”   
  
“Very happy to hear that,” Havoc said, nodding.  
  
Everyone was silent for a short moment. Riza smiled and glad that Ross was part of the group as the First Lieutenant had helped out a lot. She also enjoyed Ross’s company more and more as each day passed. Riza glanced at Roy, who wore the same expression as her. There was no doubt he was thinking the same thing.   
  
“Mustang, you said that you’ll have to meet with Grumman soon,” Charlie said suddenly. “A little nervous how that will go?”  
  
“You could say that.” A tiny smile tugged at Roy’s lips. “The talks will be about the war damages being paid to Aerugo and we’re struggling with that now.”  
  
Riza nodded encouragingly at him. She admitted she also was worried over what would happen during the meeting as reparations were a big deal, but believed it wouldn’t be as bad as she feared.   
  
Roy looked back at her with a smile. “I appreciated that.” He was about to say more, but all of a sudden Second Lieutenant Brosh burst into the room looking frantic and disheveled.   
  
“Sir, come quickly! The citizens are rioting at the gates!”  
  
The reaction to the announcement was instantaneous. Roy got to his feet while Riza moved to his side, one hand reaching towards her sidearm.   
“What kind of protest, though?” Havoc asked.   
  
“I’m not sure,” Brosh said, “but I think we should go outside and find out.”  
  
Roy nodded and wasted no time exiting his office. Riza and everyone else, including Brosh, soon followed.  
  
When the whole group made it outside, there already were several soldiers and other Central Command employees watching the protest. There was a huge crowd yelling with signs held up high. Riza’s face fell when she spotted the Fuhrer among the audience looking on.   
  
“Fuhrer Grumman!” Roy called out.  
  
Grumman spun around, a stunned expression appearing on his face. “I didn’t expect to see you until later, Mustang.”   
  
“I came to see what all the commotion was. The citizens are very angry right now,” Roy said, great concern in his voice.  
  
“I’m worried this could potentially turn into a mob and lives would be at stake.”  
  
The two men were about to speak more, but Riza saw them turn their attention to the protest.   
  
Riza was able to get a better view of the signs and flinched. All of the signs were more or less about being against the changes happening in Ishval.  _Close Ishval Districts. Ishval: Waste of Tax Money. Down With Ishval_. Reading them made her feel sick.   
  
“Ishvalans better off dead,” Roy read one of the signs aloud in disbelief before letting out a long sigh and closing his eyes. Riza knew Roy expected one of those protests, but it still worried him.   
  
“It looks like another protest concerning Ishval, so I don’t think any force is necessary. Besides, it’s the military police’s job to handle these kind of things.” Grumman took one last glimpse at the protest and faced Roy. “I expect you at the meeting at half an hour.”  
  
“I’ll be there, don’t worry.”   
  
Grumman immediately headed back inside. As Roy gazed at the sky briefly, Riza figured his mind was on the protest. It was evident that he wasn’t particularly happy about this, especially when he had to go to that important discussion soon. Eventually Roy fixed his eyes on the group.   
  
“I need to go to that meeting now. Charlie, Havoc, you guys can stay here a while longer if you like.”  
  
“We’ll be waiting then, Chief,” Havoc said. Charlie nodded encouragingly.  
  
After giving everyone a single nod, Roy took off himself. Riza stared at his back until he made it inside, wondering if the Brigadier General would be able to concentrate after seeing the protest.   
  
+++  
  
George and Edith had been talking for a couple of hours, the Lieutenant Colonel enjoying every moment of it. One of the things he missed was when they could talk for several hours on end as their conversations ranged from politics to their work to the different people they had met from various places. That day Edith talked about some of the engineering projects in North City she was overseeing—stressful, but she enjoyed them. Right after, George discussed some of the future things planned for Ishval, which he was excited for.   
  
“So when is the library going to be finished?”  
  
“The target is around fall this year. I let Mustang know I’m fine with Central Library loaning in the books, but I need to talk with some of the Ishvalans about it first.”  
  
“I see. I hope that will go without any problems.”  
  
Both husband and wife fell silent as they drank their tea. George took a good look at his wife, a troubled expression seemed to spread across her face. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but for some reason wasn’t able to.   
  
“I still can’t stop thinking about the last letter you sent me, George.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” George said as he leaned forward with great interest. “You mean the one in which I visited Xerxes with Mustang, Hawkeye, and Scar several months ago?”  
  
“Yes,” Edith responded with a slow nod. “It’s very fascinating that there are Ishvalans living there.”  
  
“I admit, I was pretty surprised myself when Scar and Mustang told me about that and even more shocked when I saw them myself.”  
  
Edith finished sipping her drink. “I’m glad the meeting went smoothly overall.”  
  
The both of them went quiet once more. George was also happy the discussion with the Ishvalans had gone along nicely, given the circumstances. He wished that things went a little differently, but the Ishvalans’ reactions were to be expected.   
  
“It’s all right.” George paused to give his wife a small smile. “You should go to Xerxes with me someday, it’s beautiful.”  
  
“From the way you described it in your letter, I’m sure it is. You should take me there one day, my dear.”   
  
“I will if you come visit me again,” George said as he leaned in close to Edith, his hand touching her cheek.  
  
“I think I can arrange that.” A smirk slowly formed on Edith’s face, which bemused him a little. “I’m actually considering moving to Ishval to help with the construction there.”  
  
George wasn’t able to find the words to express how surprised he was to hear that. He never thought his wife would want to stay in this region. He was only able to blurt out a stunned “Really?” in response.  
  
“I want to help you rebuild Ishval. The projects in North City are almost done, so I should be able to move here in a few months. That is, if you’re fine with it.”  
  
“Of course I am, Edith,” George said without hesitation.   
  
Edith closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against George’s; he could not wait for the next time he saw her.

  
+++

Evening came by faster than Riza thought it would. After work, she, Roy, Breda, and Havoc were at her apartment as she invited everyone for tea and sandwiches. Charlie had politely declined as he had to meet up with his wife and in-laws whereas Ross and Fuery had other plans. The four sat around Riza’s kitchen table, talking a little bit about the protest and other matters in Central of lately. Right after that, Roy mentioned what happened during the meeting.   
  
“Overall things are proceeding as planned and talks with Creta and Drachma are still going to happen.”  
  
“Was he worried over the expected payout both countries will want from him?” Breda asked.  
  
“Indeed he was, but Grumman said such is the price of peace.”  
  
“Good to hear everything is going good so far,” Havoc said, smiling.   
  
Riza made a single nod of agreement and smiled too. It was great that at the end the meeting had a favorable outcome. She soon caught a glimpse of both Havoc and Breda looking over the clock, their eyes widening a little.  
  
“Oh, looks like we have to go now,” Breda said when he faced his two superior officers. “Havoc and I are going to be at the bar a block from here and hang out there for a while.”  
  
“You guys have a good time,” Riza said, smiling. “And it’s great talking with you again, Havoc.”  
  
“Yes, I enjoyed our conversation very much,” Roy told Havoc, giving him a content expression.   
  
An appreciative grin spread across Havoc’s face. “Same here.”  
  
Breda and Havoc stood up and waved goodbye to Roy and Riza before leaving the apartment room. Riza gazed at the door for a short time before turning to see Roy with a distant look on his face.   
  
“Still thinking about the protest earlier today?” she asked in concern.   
  
Roy gave out a heavy sigh. “It still troubles me there are those that don’t want anything to do with the Ishvalans. Reminds me of Mitchell Faywell.”  
  
Knowing that would be the case, Riza frowned. She looked at Roy in silence.  
  
“It’s going to be okay, Roy,” she said shortly after. “We’ll figure this out.” Riza got out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Roy. She kissed his forehead.   
  
A chuckle escaped the alchemist. “True. I’m getting tired of everything thrown at me when I least expect it.”  
  
The Captain kissed Roy again, this time on the lips. Riza could taste the honey tea she had handed him earlier. “You have me watching your back, so there’s no need to worry.”   
  
They were silent for a second until a suggestive smile appeared on Roy’s face. “Maybe you can help me relax.”  
  
“By helping you get ready for your radio interview that’s coming soon?” Riza threw Roy a smirk of her own. The smile on Roy’s face vanished at that instant and he sighed in exasperation. She loved seeing him being disappointed sometimes.   
  
“I almost forgot about that. It shouldn’t be too hard, though.”  
  
Roy was due to have an interview at Radio Capital tomorrow in which he had to talk about the progress he has made with the revised Ishval policies and what his next course of action would be. Riza knew he had to get his points across without making his cause look bad and in a diplomatic manner, but this would be a good way for Roy and his plans to gain some support.   
  
“You might need to be prepared to explain some of the progress that happened, but yes you should be fine.” Riza ended the embrace and began picking up the plates.   
  
“All right, all right, we can get started soon. You can let me know if whatever I say needs a little work.”  
  
The rest of the night Roy practiced what he was going to say to the public with Riza giving out pointers on how he could word some phrases better among other things, which she enjoyed a lot.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Edit 4/2/2013** : All right, so I decided to edit the second half of this chapter after finding out some info from the Perfect Guidebook 2 (through [Grumman's Wiki](http://fma.wikia.com/wiki/Grumman)): "... that guidebook states that the kinship is very evident through various mementos in Grumman's office, which means Riza and those close to her in the military are aware of the connection." Took out some lines to indicate Roy and Riza less shocked over the news.

Last night Roy had rehearsed what he was going to say during the interview. There was a lot he wanted to talk about, however he needed to cut down on some unnecessary information as there was a time limit and didn’t want to go over that. The more he practiced the less likely he would make a mistake. He was grateful for Riza helping him, which made things easier.   
  
On the day of his interview, the Brigadier General waited patiently until it was time for him to be on air. In the same room with him were his subordinates, Havoc, and Charlie. Roy’s shoulders grew stiff.   
  
“I wonder when I’ll finally get to be interviewed,” Roy said   
  
“Shouldn’t be long now,” Ross said as she looked at him.   
  
Roy just nodded at the First Lieutenant. Good. The sooner this was over with, the better.   
  
Riza tossed her commanding officer a smile. “You’ll do great, Sir. All of that practice will pay off.”   
  
Roy beamed at Riza, feeling slightly more relieved hearing that from her. All of a sudden, one of the crew members came to the group and turned his attention to Roy.  
  
“Brigadier General Mustang, you’re on in two minutes.”  
  
Taking a deep breath, Roy got up and told everyone he would be back soon. The crew member gestured Roy to follow him to the soundproof room, which he did without any hesitation. While walking, the Brigadier General made sure to keep his nerves on check before entering inside.   


+++

_“Hello, everyone, and welcome to Radio Capital. Today we have a special treat for all of you listeners. In our studio right now is Brigadier General Roy Mustang from Central Command. As all of you are aware, the Brigadier General has been hard at work revising the old Amestrian Ishval policies completely and helping out with the reconstruction of Amestris’s political and government system. I’m glad you could spare us some time from your busy schedule.”  
  
“No problem, Vincent.”  
  
“The first thing I want to ask is what made you want to completely redo the Ishval policies from the ground up?”  
  
“I always get asked that question. I want the Ishvalans to live peacefully and to not have something like the Ishval War ever happens again. This was the first thing I sought to do after the eclipse.”  
  
“I’m sure you’re aware several people are not happy with the changes happening for the Ishvalans and there are those that still discriminate against them. Does that bother you?”  
  
“I can understand where the demonstrators and protestors are coming from. The people are still upset over paying higher taxes for the restoration. They shouldn’t forget, though, that Ishval is part of Amestris too. It’s their fellow countrymen they are protesting against. And that once Ishval is up and running, Ishvalans will pay tax and provide workers that will contribute to more mainstream society too. It’s give and take and that Ishval isn’t a separate place but a part of the Amestrian family that’s in trouble.”  
  
“Indeed this is something we all need to consider. There are also those that are supportive of this. Are you thankful for them?”  
  
“Yes, I am. My subordinates and Fuhrer Grumman have been supportive of my plans all the way and I know quite a few other people who are for it too. They are the ones that keep me motivated seeing this though.”  
  
“It’s indeed nice to have your friends and colleagues behind you every step in the way. Next question is did you like your visit at Ishval several months ago?”  
  
“I enjoyed the visit very much. I’m very pleased that many of the buildings are being remade already and I enjoyed talking with the Ishvalans. A few districts have yet to be reopened and there’s a lot of groundwork that needs to be done, but I’m optimistic that things are turning around for the better.”  
  
“That’s great you have a hopeful view on things. Do you plan to make another visit to Ishval?”  
  
“My team and I plan on another visit there in two or three months and I’m excited over that.”  
  
“You have Lieutenant Colonel George Miles overseeing the rebuilding efforts at Ishval. You think they’re doing a decent job at that?”  
  
“I believe he has been doing an exceptional job supervising what has been going on at that region. He’s able to keep me updated on the progress over the districts he had stayed at and not leave any information out.”  
  
“Okay, good to hear that. Can you tell me some of the future plans for Ishval?”  
  
“Well there’s going to be a library in the Kanda district fairly soon, which I look forward to. Also a few schools will be open at various districts over the upcoming weeks. And of course more Ishvalan districts are planned to be open.”  
  
“Sounds like some huge changes are underway. Well, I think everyone listening wonders what do you hope to accomplish after all of this is done?”   
  
“That the Ishvalans will be content with the changes and live happier lives. I also hope they and the Amestrians will be more accepting of one another as time passes.”  
  
“Great answer there, General. Have to stop us here, but I enjoy our discussion together and I hope you can visit again sometime.”  
  
“Same here.”  
  
“And that concludes my interview with Brigadier General Roy Mustang. That’s all for this afternoon’s news at Radio Capital. Tune in again at eight o’ clock for more news at Amestris.”_  
  
+++  
  
Several minutes after the interview was over, Roy and the group headed back to his office, talking about that. Everyone commented how well he handled the discussion with Vincent throughout the show.  
  
“Great job Hawkeye, you taught the chief the art of public speaking,” Havoc said, chuckling. Roy glared at him.  
  
“Hey, I came up with that all on my own.”   
  
This time Breda laughed aloud and said, “Sure you did.”   
  
“Captain, tell them!”  
  
“Whatever you say Sir, just remember to enunciate properly next time.”   
  
“I think the listeners really like your interview too,” Fuery commented. “They get to hear your side of the story.”   
  
“There might be some that are still skeptical and not believe you, but for the most part I agree with Fuery,” Charlie said.  
  
“I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. If they’re going to support me after listening to my interview, though, then I’m not complaining.” Roy indeed wanted more support for his plans, hence why agreeing to do this interview in the first place, but realized he can’t please everyone; he would have to be satisfied with what he gained. The military officer lost his train of thought when someone knocked on the door. "Come on in,” he said without hesitation.   
  
Roy heard the sound of the door opening and a young woman who he recognized as Grumman's secretary came in and saluted to him. He gave her a warm smile, returning the salute.  
  
"Hello, Lieutenant Anderson. I assume His Excellency has a few papers I should look over?"  
  
"Actually, the Fuhrer would like to see you immediately. It's very important." She then turned to looked at Riza. “He would also like to see you, Captain Hawkeye.”  
  
Roy blinked at her, puzzled over why the Fuhrer wanted to talk to him now, especially since he just came back from the interview. Not only that, why Grumman insisted on seeing Riza, too? He glanced at Riza and she too was just as confused as he was, but then had her face in a stern expression. Not wanting to make Grumman wait for them any longer now, Roy pulled out from his seat and motioned his hand for Riza to leave with him. They followed Anderson as she escorted them to the Fuhrer.   
  
As soon as the two military officers made it to Grumman's office, Lieutenant Anderson opened the door and led Roy and Riza inside. The moment they stepped in the room Roy caught Grumman beaming at them. He and Riza saluted.   
  
"Ah Mustang and Captain Hawkeye, glad you two could come in at short notice. Have a seat."   
  
Both Roy and Riza did as they were told. Grumman motioned his hand, which was meant for Anderson to be dismissed. His secretary saluted and left everyone alone. Roy turned his head to look at Grumman.  
  
"Anderson said that you needed to speak to us urgently."  
  
"Yes. Actually, there are a few pressing matters I wanted to discuss with the both of you." Grumman was silent for a moment before wearing a proud expression on his face. "Before we get to that, I want to say I listened to your interview while checking over some files, Mustang,” he told Roy. “You did very well there my boy, bravo!"  
  
Roy beamed at the Fuhrer. "I'm glad to hear that.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Riza giving him a tiny smile.  
  
"Good, good. With that out of the way, the first thing I want to talk about is how you feel about being transferred to the East, General?"  
  
So Anderson was right when she said it was important. Roy couldn’t help but look on with interest.   
  
"What brought you asking me that?"  
  
"Well I actually wanted you to take over East Command since I became Fuhrer because you had been there for a while. However, that time you were blind and I wasn’t sure what you were going to do next. I had to choose quickly who would take my former post, so in the end I decided on Lieutenant General Stills.”   
  
A frown tugged at Roy’s lips. He remembered the first night in the hospital he was lost over what to do next since he was blind. Roy was certain he couldn’t be an officer anymore, hence his chance at being Fuhrer no longer a possibility. Eventually he settled on fixing Ishval after having long discussions with Riza over what he should do. He looked at Riza, who was frowning at him.   
  
“Understandable. I wasn’t entirely sure myself until a while later. You still haven’t answered my question, though.”  
  
“I’m getting to that,” Grumman responded with a chuckle. “Now as you’re aware Stills is going to retire shortly after we have our negotiations with Creta in several weeks. What I’m thinking is I want you to take over the East Command immediately after he leaves the military.”   
  
Roy pondered this over. He had heard of Stills retiring soon. There were talks among many military officers at Central over who would take over the Lieutenant General’s place. One question crossed Roy’s mind.  
  
“Have you talked to Lieutenant General Stills about this?”   
  
“I did and the Lieutenant General agrees that you’re the best person to take over Eastern Command.”  
  
His breath caught in his throat, Roy was stunned over hearing that. He had only spoken to Stills a few times before being transferred to Central, but thought he was a very nice and humble person. It shocked the alchemist to hear that the Lieutenant General thought highly of him.  
  
“That’s very generous of him to say that about me,” Roy replied.   
  
“Indeed, it is. So General Mustang, are you fine with this?”   
  
Once more Roy paused to think. Staying at East City would mean shorter train trips to Ishval and Scar and Miles could come visit him more often. There was also Havoc, who was almost done with the physical therapy; he wouldn’t have to deal with moving to Central. He wasn’t sure though if Riza, Fuery, and Breda are going to be happy over the idea of going back to East. Ross might not like the sound of that either since she was getting used to living in Central again. This was something he would have to discuss about with his subordinates.   
  
“If I transfer, can I bring my team with me and have Jean Havoc join in too once his physical therapy is over?”  
  
Grumman gave Roy a small smile. “Of course.”  
  
“Then I would like to talk to them about this first before making my decision.”  
  
“That’s fine, too.”  
  
Roy took a quick glimpse at Riza offering him a supportive smile.   
  
“I don’t mind moving back to East City if everyone else is fine with it.”   
  
Roy smiled back at Riza, glad to hear that. He soon looked at Grumman making a single nod.  
  
“You should let me know your decision as soon as possible,” Grumman said, “so that I can get ready for your transfer if you decided on that.”  
  
“You’ll have my answer soon, don’t worry.”  
  
There was a brief moment of silence from everyone. Roy caught Riza having a distant look crossed her features, as if there was something in her mind.   
  
“Sorry to ask this Fuhrer Grumman, but why am I called into meeting with you too?” Riza asked. “Brigadier General Mustang could have told me about the transfer.”  
  
It was a while until Grumman dragged in a sigh. “You’re right that there is another reason for this meeting.”   
  
Roy blinked when he saw the Fuhrer opening the drawer from his desk and handed an envelope to Riza, who was just as confused. The officers gazed at one another a bit before Riza opened it and took out a certificate. When Roy watched her staring at it for a while, he leaned in to read what it said. It was a marriage certificate with the names  _Berthold Hawkeye_ and  _Charlotte Grumman_  on it.   
  
“I suspected you were related to my mother. The General had told me you kept a picture of her on your desk.” When Riza looked at Roy, he gave her a nod. A while back when they were at Eastern Headquarters, Roy mentioned the picture to her—it was easy for them to make the connection. “This confirms it.”   
  
“So you’re already aware, granddaughter.”  
  
Riza still had a straight look on her face, but Roy sensed she was speechless over what she had just heard.  
  
“I don’t want to get into too much detail,” Grumman continued, “but basically Berthold and I had a huge fight, leaving your mother to choose between he or I. Guess who she decided on.”   
  
A long silence stretched out the room. Riza’s face fell, which made Roy believe she was pondering over this. His eye shortly after caught Riza taking something else from the envelope, this time a black and white photo of Berthold and Grumman several years younger along with a young woman Roy knew was Riza’s mother. The Captain slipped the photo and certificate inside the envelope and handed them back to Grumman.  
  
“My father never told me about you,” Riza finally said, “and my mother had passed away before I had turned three. Why didn’t you let me know about this sooner?”   
  
“I don’t want to think your promotions were because of me. Have to say, I was quite surprised when I heard you going to Ishval.” Grumman gave Riza a sad smile. “The day you and Mustang were almost assassinated I realized I can’t keep this secret from you anymore.”  
  
Roy’s stomach turned cold upon hearing that. He hated being reminded of that incident despite it happened not too long ago. When Roy looked at Riza, her eyes were lowered. He knew she felt the same way. Another thought occurred to him, making his eyes wide.   
  
“Sir, remember before I was transferred to Central you asked me if I wanted to marry your granddaughter? Did you figure out I knew you meant Captain Hawkeye?”  
  
“Wait, what?” Riza asked both in confusion and astonishment.   
  
Grumman roared with laughter. He quickly regained his composure and said, “Indeed you’re right, my boy.”  
  
Roy’s face softened. So all this time Grumman wanted him and Riza to get married. Roy had an idea this was why Grumman wanted him to know about his familial relationship with Riza too. He chuckled softly, thought it was actually funny, sort of.  
  
“I’m curious as to why you think the both of us should be together.”  
  
“I had been watching you two for a while and I could tell the both of you are devoted to each other. That then extended to love and caring.”   
  
Out of affection Roy held Riza’s hand. Whether Grumman saw it or not he wasn’t sure, but Roy believed the Fuhrer was fine with that. Roy smiled at Riza, which she returned.   
  
“If you still want us to be married, then sorry to say that won’t happen in the near future. I still need her by my side and to watch my back until I become Fuhrer.”   
  
A wide grin spread across Grumman’s features. “I knew that would be the case, and that’s fine. I wonder, though, what kind of future you two want with one another after that happens?”   
  
Feeling silly, Roy lowered his head a little. He and Riza had been busy with Ishval and helping Grumman out with the transformation happening over at Amestris that they hadn’t gotten the chance to talk about what would happen after he became Fuhrer. They knew for sure, at least for now, that marriage was out of the question. Roy then felt Riza’s hold on his hand tightened and noted a content expression lit up her face.   
  
“I’ll still be by your side,” Riza said to Roy, as if she already knew the answer to that. “I really don’t mind us being this way.”   
  
Roy beamed, glad to hear that from her. He too was fine being with Riza like this.   
  
A satisfied smile crossed Grumman’s face. “I can see that happening with you two and I’m content with that.” He stopped for a second. “Okay, I think that’s enough for today. The both of you are dismissed.”  
  
Once Roy had let go on Riza’s hand, they saluted Grumman and left the room. As they were walking to his office, Roy thought about how it was unusual the meeting went from him being asked if he wanted to be transferred to East City to news of Riza being Grumman’s granddaughter. He soon realized that he needed to talk with everyone else about the transfer and would need to make his decision right after.   
  
+++  
  
“How did the meeting went, Chief?” Havoc asked.  
  
“It was unexpected, to say the least. He first said how I did well with my interview from Radio Capital. He then mentioned wanting me to transfer to Eastern Command after Lieutenant General Stills retires.”  
  
An awkward quietness followed. Riza had anticipated Roy being considered as one of the Generals to oversee Eastern Command due to having been there for a long time, but not sure if that was going to happen anytime soon. It was about time Grumman made his decision.   
  
“Are you considering it?” The question this time came from Ross.   
  
“I haven’t decided yet because I actually want to talk to you guys about it. I’m not going to East City if none of you guys want to.”  
  
Riza glimpsed at everyone, seeing them considering this like he was. This was a big decision to make.   
  
“It would be nice to be back at East City and relax a little,” Breda said, the first one to speak. “There are also some advantages to going back there. For instance, Havoc wouldn’t need to move to Central after he’s done with physical therapy.”  
  
Havoc chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t mind moving back to Central, although it would be best that I don’t lift heavy stuff early on after my therapy.”  
  
“That was one of the things I was thinking about,” Roy said. “One other thing is us able to get to Ishval faster whenever we go visit there. Not only that, Scar and Miles can report to me in person more often.”  
  
“If you guys are indeed planning to go to East City you can visit me and my family,” Charlie said, grinning.  
  
“That’s another advantage, I guess,” Fuery offered, eyes twinkling in amusement. He then looked at the Roy and his face turned serious. “The shorter train trips do sound great.”  
  
“Even though I’m getting used to settling at Central again, it would be nice to experience staying at a different city at Amestris,” Ross said. “How about you, Captain Hawkeye? Are you fine with it?”  
  
“I’m willing to go wherever the Brigadier General goes.” Riza then faced Mustang, a warm smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “You’re the only person fit for looking over Eastern Command, Sir.”   
  
It was a while until Roy offered everyone an appreciative look. “I’m glad all of you are fine with this. All right then, tomorrow I’ll let Grumman know my team and I are willing to transfer to Eastern Command so that he can have everything ready by the time Lieutenant General Stills retires.”   
  
“He’ll be very happy to hear that for sure,” Charlie said.  
  
“Was there anything else he wanted to talk to you about?” Ross asked.  
  
Roy remained silent. Riza caught him glancing at her, knowing he wanted her to reveal it instead. She nodded.   
  
“The Fuhrer has revealed that I’m his granddaughter.”  
  
Everyone in the room wore the same stunned look on their faces, which she expected.   
“Are you sure?” Fuery asked, his voice laced with skepticism.   
  
“The Fuhrer showed us pictures of Hawkeye’s parents when they were married and also the marriage certificate. He and her father got into an argument that led her parents to separate from him,” Roy said.   
  
“The reason the Fuhrer hadn’t mentioned this to me until now is so I don’t think the promotions I got was due to nepotism,” she finished off. “I’m trying to figure out my thoughts over this.”   
  
“I guess it’ll take some getting used to,” Havoc said, shrugging. “That doesn’t mean everything shouldn’t still be running normally.”  
  
Roy gave a chuckle. “That’s true. All of us including you will be focusing on Ishval and changing Amestris. ”  
  
A small smile slowly settled on Riza’s lips. She agreed with Havoc for the most part everything would stay the same.  
  
+++  
  
At sundown, Riza and Roy were walking down the stairs along with Havoc and Charlie. Both men were due to leave Central soon, Havoc in the morning and Charlie the day after. The Captain was going to miss them a lot and knew Roy felt the same way as she glanced at him.  
  
“I do wish you guys would stay here longer,” Roy said. “We haven’t gotten the chance to go have a drink together yet.”  
  
“Don’t worry, we can talk more once you and the team are stationed at East City.” A wide grin stretched Havoc’s face.   
  
Riza smiled. “And we look forward to that.”  
  
The four soon reached the ground and without any hesitation saluted one another as their goodbyes. Riza and Roy watched the men walking for a while before the Brigadier General faced her.   
  
“The meeting with Grumman sure was something,” Roy said.  
  
“It was, yes.”  
  
Several hours had passed since that meeting and Riza still struggled with what to make out of her being Grumman’s granddaughter. She was glad to finally find a living relative to talk to, but it was remarkable that it had to be the Fuhrer. Havoc was right when he said it would take getting used to.   
  
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, eventually.” Roy’s expression softened and he offered her a gentle smile.  
  
“Thank you,” Riza said, returning a smaller smile of her own. “Now I think about it, he had been watching over me all this time.”  
  
Roy made a lighthearted chuckle. “Seemed to be that way.”   
  
Several seconds had passed by in silence between the two. Riza glanced at Roy, his face straight. She was curious as to what was going on in his mind; Riza hadn’t needed to wait for her answer when his eyes looked straight at hers.   
  
“I’ll want you and everyone else to gather your things before Grumman tells me the transfer has been approved.”  
  
Riza waited to see if Roy was going to continue talking, but he left it at that. There was no need for more explanation, so Riza was fine with it. She gave him a slight nod and a determined smile.   
  
“That won’t be a problem, Sir.”   
  
Her tone, clipped and professional, said to him what it could never say to anyone else. She would be by his side no matter where they went. The promise they had made to each other so long ago rang true in her words as she assured him an uncertain future – but one nonetheless. And that was more than he could ever ask for.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last part, the epilogue!

_East City, Spring 1917_  
  
First Lieutenant Jean Havoc got used to waking up in mornings again, but for this particular day he was looking forward to it and wanted to get to work earlier than usual.  
  
Jean had been back in the military close to nine months now and had enjoyed every moment of it. There were times when he found himself still not believing this was actually happening. Mustang and his unit were busy with revising the old Ishval policies and changing Amestris, so he stayed in military headquarters much longer than anticipated. The First Lieutenant didn't mind that as he wanted to help out with the Chief's plans; he was thankful for Marcoh in making it possible for him to feel his legs again and even more grateful for Mustang letting him use the Philosopher's Stone first.   
  
After putting on his shirt and grabbing his military jacket, Jean's eyes caught a photograph of him with the team, Miles, and Scar in front of the library when he and the group visited Kanda several weeks ago. He chuckled, remembering how much he loved his first visit to Ishval. Both the Chief and Hawkeye got him up to speed over what was going on in that region, so he was aware what progress were made there, like how more supplies and technology from Aerugo were underway and the harvesting of the crops going just as planned. Some of the stuff he already knew as he kept up with the news on the radio while in physical therapy. Either way, everything seemed to go along quite fine without many disturbances.   
  
The First Lieutenant finished buttoning up his military jacket when he heard someone knocking on his door. He rushed out of his bedroom and went to open the door. A smirk pulled at the corner of Jean's mouth upon seeing Breda.   
  
"Coming to work early today too, Breda?"  
  
"Yep," Breda said with a nod. "I thought the both of us could walk over to Eastern Command together."  
  
“I have no problem with that."   
  
Once Jean closed the door behind him, both men headed off and were eventually out of the apartment building. He and Breda lived only a couple blocks from Eastern Command, so they didn't have to drive there. Jean had joked, not long after he joined back Mustang’s team that the walking would be good for Breda, which resulted in him laughing out loud and not having any hard feelings over that. They continued walking to their destination without exchanging any words until Breda spoke up.   
  
"You think the negotiations today will go well with the Emperor of Xing?"  
  
Later today there was going to be a meeting with the Brigadier General and Emperor Ling Yao from Xing. He, Mustang, and everyone else had looked forward to his arrival and finally that moment would come soon.  
  
"I believe so. From what I heard, he's a very nice guy." Jean had met with the Emperor before, back when he helped First Lieutenant Ross running away from Amestris, but they only exchanged a few sentences with one another. Nonetheless, he was excited to meet him again.  
  
There was silence between the two military officers on the rest of the way to Eastern Command. Jean wasn't worried anything bad would happen and instead couldn't wait for the negotiations to happen.  
  
+++  
  
It had been an hour already since Riza woke up and finished getting dressed for work as usual. Having some time to spare, she was in the kitchen, slowly eating her toast that she had spread some butter on   
  
The Captain reflected a little over going back to East Command. It was ironic when she had moved to Central she was only able to unpack some of her things, only for them to be put back in the boxes once more; she didn't mind that at all. The last several months Riza grew to like staying at East City, actually missed that place while at Central as she was raised in the eastern region of Amestris most of her life. Riza had fun showing First Lieutenant Ross around a few of her favorite places and hanging out with her long time friend Rebecca again, so there was some plus coming back here.  
  
Riza chewed the last piece of her breakfast when she heard her phone rang from the living room. She got out of her seat and rushed to pick it up.  
  
"Hello?" Riza answered in a cautious tone. She rarely got calls early in the morning.   
  
A loud cackle sounded from the other line, which Riza already had an idea who her caller was. "I thought you would be out early for today's special occasion."  
  
Riza shook her head and let out a soft laugh. "I was just leaving now, Grandfather."  
  
Before Riza had been transferred to Eastern Command, she and Grumman discussed over communicating with one another as grandfather and granddaughter once in a while. Riza wasn't comfortable with the idea at first, but then said that would be lovely as she wanted to get to know him more. They called one another over the phone every other month and Riza had visited him at his estate several times already on weekends. She began to enjoy talking to him more after each visit . Saying "grandfather" had gotten easier for her, too.   
  
"Ah, I see. I'm actually about to go myself in a few minutes. I just want to say good luck with you, Mustang, and his team over the meeting with the Emperor."  
  
Riza felt a faint smile pull on her lips. "Thank you. I'll let everyone know you said that."  
  
Another chuckle escaped Grumman. "That's great to hear. Sorry to cut this phone call extremely short, but I better be going. Talk to you again tomorrow!"  
  
"Can’t wait."  
  
As soon as Riza heard Grumman hang up, she put the phone away and headed out of her apartment. She wanted to get to Eastern Command as soon as possible.   
  
+++  
  
Most mornings Roy would be in his office half an hour early to wait for his subordinates. Usually he would read the newspaper or listen to the radio to pass the time, but this time he had been staring outside the window, deep in thought.  
  
Today Roy was going to have an important meeting with the Emperor Ling Yao of Xing. A while back he had written a letter to the Emperor requesting a discussion over wanting Amestris having an open railroad trade with Xing, mentioning it would boost the economy for both countries. Emperor Yao answered back saying he was more than happy to talk to him over that and to anticipate his visit to East City fairly soon. Several weeks passed by since that response and now that day finally had arrived. Besides his team, Roy expected Scar and Miles to come to the discussions too as he wanted them to meet the Emperor.   
  
He knew there were risks involved. The boy he had met was just that. Today’s meeting was with the emperor of a nation with a very real possibility of his own proposal being turned down. But then again, risk was always present, it shouldn’t stop Roy from trying. No, it “wouldn’t” stop him from trying.   
  
Roy was disturbed when he heard footsteps. He turned around to see Riza—no surprise there as she was always the first one to come inside his office—bearing two cups of coffee in hand. Her mouth slipped into a smile, which Roy returned with one of his own.   
  
“Morning, Captain.”  
  
“Same to you. I brought coffee from the lounge. Would you like one?”  
  
Roy smirked. “Don’t mind if I do.”  
  
Once Riza handed Roy the coffee, he took several sips of it and his smile widened. The Captain drank hers soon after. They were quiet for a short while.   
  
“You seemed to have a lot on your mind,” Riza said.  
  
Roy let out a low sigh. “I’m a little nervous meeting with Emperor Yao. I hope to not mess this up.”  
  
“I don’t think that will be the case. He knows us.”  
  
“We only met him once when he, Edward, Alphonse, and I almost got eaten by Gluttony.” The Brigadier General tensed a little upon remembering that.   
  
“True, but he seems like a nice person. And you forget that he did help you with First Lieutenant Ross’s case. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”  
  
“You’re right. The meeting should go along smoothly,” Roy said in an appreciated tone. Sometimes he wondered how Riza was able to say the right words.  
  
There was another brief moment of silence between them until Breda and Havoc joined the couple inside. Roy welcomed them with a smile.   
  
“You two are early,” he said. “How come?”   
  
“Well we don’t want to be late meeting with the Emperor of Xing,” Breda said.   
  
“Also the both of us know how important this meeting is to you, Chief,” Havoc said, shooting him a grin.  
  
“Glad to hear that from you guys,” Roy said, his smile widening.  
  
A few seconds hadn’t flown by yet when Fuery and Ross showed up and everyone greeted one another. They all then talked about the upcoming meeting scheduled to happen later in the afternoon. Miles wasn’t expected for another three hours, so Roy wasn’t worried about him. He was a little disappointed Scar couldn’t come with the Lieutenant Colonel due to him being sick, but there was nothing he could do about it—he hoped Scar was well rested. With his whole team looking forward to seeing the Emperor, Roy’s mind was at ease.   
  
+++  
  
This was the first time in a while in which Scar had fallen ill, and he wasn’t liking it one bit. Once he had woken up, all he did this morning was stare out at the window and left with his thoughts.  
  
The past several weeks at Ishval had been quite busy for Scar. He had helped out with construction of the library, which had finished a couple months ago. Besides that he had been preoccupied overlooking a few districts alongside with Miles and talking with the Ishvalans concerning the changes happening --quite a few people weren’t pleased and wished for more progress to happen, but most of them were satisfied with the changes that had happened so far. There was also him teaching the sacred words of Ishvala to the young adults twice a week, many of which aspired to become scholars.   
  
He remembered feeling sick four days ago after coughing a lot while talking to a few Ishvalan women a few years older than him. Once Scar excused himself, Miles gave him a funny look before touching his hot forehead and telling him he needed to rest; he didn't protest. A part of Scar believed it was his body telling him to slow down, which was most likely true.   
  
Scar didn't mind that, but was sad to not be able to make it to Brigadier General Mustang's meeting with Emperor Ling Yao. He still couldn't wait until Miles and his wife got back from East Command as the Lieutenant General would tell him everything that happened.   
  
In that instant the Ishvalan was drifted away from his thoughts when he heard someone knocking on the door. Leaving the bedroom, Scar headed over to open the door and twitched upon seeing a familiar face.  
  
"Doctor Maroch," Scar murmured. He wanted to ask him what the good Doctor was doing here but wasn't able to, still stunned over the doctor's unexpected visit.  
  
"I thought I would drop by for a visit and give you some  _chaanch_. I hope I’m not intruding."   
  
Scar shook his head and motioned with his hands for Marcoh to come in. "Not at all."  
  
As the two sat beside the table and drank, Scar’s throat grew cold. It was a good thing Marcoh came with the  _channch_  as he had just ran out of it. Finally able to think of something to say, Scar spoke first.  
  
"So how is being my people’s doctor here treating you so far?"   
  
"It's going great. I am finally at peace, working with them."  
  
"We're all grateful for that." Scar felt a slight smile forming at the corners of his mouth. Changing the subject, he then said, "Miles had taken his wife to East City with him. I was supposed to go with them, but my fellow brother called Mustang last minute to tell him I couldn't make it."  
  
"Ah right, today he's supposed to have an important meeting with the Emperor of Xing. Such a shame you have to miss it." Marcoh stopped briefly to drink more of his  _chaanch_. "How is Miles's wife? I’ve never met her before."  
  
An amused noise escaped Scar. "You will, eventually," he told the doctor. "She's a very determined person that would make sure everything gets done when it’s supposed to."   
  
Another short silence between the two while they sipped their drink. Marcoh then asked, "You think the negotiations between the two will go well?"  
  
Scar fell silent, unsure how to respond to that. He was aware Mustang and the Emperor would have to discuss several important things regarding trade, so most likely it would take a while for them to reach over some of the agreements. Nonetheless, Scar believed everything would work out in the end. He smiled to Maroch once more.   
  
"I believe so."  
  
+++  
  
Miles had in fact come in three hours later, give or take a few minutes. As soon as he showed up, Roy shook hands with him and they along with Roy’s team then waited for Emperor Yao outside. Everyone remained quiet while waiting, which made Roy uncomfortable.   
  
“Will you and the others still be joining with me and my wife for dinner later tonight?” Miles asked abruptly.   
  
Roy jerked his head a little to see Miles and nodded. The Lieutenant Colonel had brought his wife with him to East City as she had wanted to visit there for a while and would like to have dinner with Roy and his group. He was more than fine with that.   
  
“Of course. I’m looking forward to meeting Edith again.”   
  
Miles made an acknowledged nod and then changed the subject by asking, “You mentioned the Emperor is the same age as Edward Elric?”   
  
“He’s actually a few months younger than Edward, but yes the both of them are practically the same age.”  
  
“So we’re meeting a very young Emperor, perhaps wise beyond his years.”   
  
An amused sound came out from Roy. The alchemist was about to speak again, only to leave his mouth open when he caught sight of several people approaching. In an instant he saw Emperor Yao coming forward with two body guards, one he recognized as Lan Fan thanks to her automail hand showing, and a few of his advisors. The Emperor himself was in a lavish blue robe that was worn over a silk dressing gown and had a golden crown on his head. Roy thought the Xingese man looked very handsome and dignified in his clothing; he now wished he had worn something better than his military uniform. When Emperor Yao was close enough to him he halted and they shook hands.  
  
“It is so great to see you again, Brigadier General Roy Mustang,” Ling said, beaming.   
  
“Same here, Emperor Yao. Welcome to Eastern Command.”  
  
The young Emperor laughed out loud, which caused Roy to cock an eyebrow at him. Was it a joke of sort he missed? He glanced at the group and they seemed to not get it either.   
  
“You don’t have to be so formal around me,” Emperor Yao said once he calmed himself. “Just call me Ling.”  
  
  
Roy smiled a little. “Well I’m honored, Ling.” He stopped for a second to point at Miles. “Lieutenant Colonel Miles had helped me out with overseeing the rebuilding of Ishval. I hope you don’t mind him joining in.” Roy saw Miles offering the Emperor an acknowledged nod.   
  
“I don’t mind at all,” Ling said, a grin showing on his face. Roy then noticed him looking at one of his subordinates, particularly Ross; that made him wonder if Ling wanted to say something to her. His question was answered when the Emperor said, “Ah, and it looks like you have Maria Ross with you, too. I want to personally thank you for saving my father from that assassination attempt.”   
  
Shortly after Roy had Ross in his team, the First Lieutenant mentioned to him how there was an assassination attempt on Ling’s father and she was able to save his life. The Brigadier General was quite shocked learning about that, but then he beamed at Ross and told her he was glad to make the right decision in having her as his new subordinate.   
  
“No problem.” Ross had her face straight, but Roy could sense from her voice that she was quite flattered. “I’m very grateful your family let me stay with them.”  
  
“I’m happy that you’re doing well now after all that has happened.”  
  
Roy spotted Ross and Ling giving one another appreciated expressions. He was glad they were able to acquaint with one another, but knew there was important business to be taken care of.   
  
“I think we should get started with the negotiations.”  
  
Ling nodded in agreement. Roy began walking back to the building, everyone else following behind immediately after.   
  
+++  
  
Maria had gone through several negotiation meetings before, but she was still very excited over this. Ling had helped her out with escaping Amestris after being accused as Brigadier General Hughes's murderer, so she was glad to have a chance to express her gratitude to him.  
  
The meeting itself, taking place inside Mustang’s office, went along fine, at least for her. The two men had a long but smooth discussion over which food and other items Xing and Amestris would trade with one another as well as when it would start. It was agreed that the set date for the trading to happen around mid-summer so that both countries had enough time to get everything ready. There was then talks over where the trading point is that took a little while to agree on. Eventually they decided on Ishval as the trading point as the region was between Amestris and Xing and the wheat and cotton there could be used in the trades. Mustang and Ling then made a pact and agreed to communicate with one another often to update each other over what was going on with them and shook hands.   
  
"I can't wait until the trading between both countries commence," Ling said with a wide grin  
  
"Me neither," Mustang said, beaming also. "It's too bad you can't stay here longer."  
  
"It's a long train ride back from here to Xing, so we must leave as soon as possible," Lan Fan said.   
  
"May all of you get back safely there, then," Hawkeye said to the guests with a warm expression crossing her features.   
  
Maria wished that to Ling, his bodyguard, and everyone else too. Mustang and Ling shook hands once more, but the First Lieutenant then noticed the Brigadier General's eyes grew wide, as if he had forgotten something.   
  
"Before you go, there is one more request I would like to make."  
  
The Emperor quirked an eyebrow. Maria found herself also wondering what request her superior officer wanted. She glimpsed at her fellow military officers, each one also looked just as puzzled as her.  
  
"And what might that be?" Ling asked.   
  
"I want to know if you and your advisors would approve of First Lieutenant Ross as an Ambassador to Xing?”   
  
Maria’s mouth dropped open when she heard the news. Her? Ambassador to Xing? Part of her wanted to know how long her superior officer had been thinking about that, but decided asking that was unnecessary.   
  
"Wait, are you sure, Sir?"  
  
Mustang gave a slow nod. "You have connections with Ling's clan and you seemed to speak Xingese quite well. I would like you to form an ambassadorial team and also watch over the trade delegations once those get started. If you don't feel you're qualified for this, though, I understand."  
  
Maria remained quiet, still trying to figure out if she should do this. It was true that she knew Ling's royal family well and knew the common dialect spoken in the area, having learned the language during her stay there. She wasn't sure about her negotiation skills, however. There might be a chance she would learn that quickly as she went along. Maria wouldn't be surprised Mustang had that in mind all along as he made that decision.  
  
“Hey, you’re the perfect person for the job,” Havoc reassured her with a wide smile. “You’re the only one here that stayed a great deal there.”   
  
“We’ll be cheering you on,” Fuery said enthusiastically and wearing the same expression as Havoc. Breda and Hawkeye nodded.   
  
“Thanks, everyone.” Maria felt a grateful smile spreading across her face. Able to make her decision at that instant, she turned around and saluted to Mustang. She then said to him, "I'll gladly accept your offer as Ambassador to Xing and make sure you won't be disappointed."  
  
"Wonderful as I'm more than happy to hear Lieutenant Ross will be the Ambassador to my country!" Ling said and laughed. "Anyways, we must get going now. I do hope we meet again someday, Brigadier General."  
  
"Same here," Mustang said.  
  
Ling waved farewell to Mustang as he, Lan Fan, and the advisers took their leave. Maria watched them walk away until they exited Mustang’s office. She was nervous over not doing well with her new assignment, but happy she got some support and believed everything should be fine in the end.  
  
+++  
  
That night after the meeting with the Emperor, Roy and his subordinates were eating dinner with the Lieutenant Colonel and his wife at the inn the married couple was staying at for the night. The Brigadier General had talked with Edith Miles once before two months ago when he and his team visited Ishval for the opening of the library and enjoyed his conversation with her over several political topics. Once again, Roy found himself immersed in his discussions with her, this time with lobster and wine thrown in. Miles was right when he told him Edith was passionate over the happenings of Amestris. It was also nice seeing Miles and Edith together as they looked very content with one another.   
  
"Edith, what made you decide to help with the rebuilding going on in Ishval?" Breda asked all of a sudden, which made Roy pull out from his own private musings.   
  
Edith took a sip of wine and blushed a little. "I was really proud of what George was doing and I thought about helping too. I believe I made the right decision as I really enjoyed doing this and I'm able to spend more time with him." She leaned close to Miles and kissed him on the forehead.   
  
Roy beamed at Edith. "I'm glad to hear you say that. Some of the buildings were done quicker than expected thanks to your engineering skills."  
  
He was indeed glad that Edith came to help turn around the construction going on. Miles would mention in his reports how several projects were completed without any problems and many of the Ishvalan construction workers respected her. Roy had no doubt Edith knew what she was doing over there.  
  
"Why thank you, Brigadier General Mustang," Edith said with a wide smile, as if being taken aback by that compliment. "I'm honored to hear that."   
  
After finishing a piece of the lobster, Miles said, "I admit to being surprised when Edith said she wanted to stay at Ishval with me." Miles chuckled. "I too am happy to be with my wife again, though."  
  
No words came out from Edith, which left Roy wondering if there was something on her mind. She then faced him and he was even more confused.  
  
"I would like to say congratulations on the trade negotiations with the Emperor of Xing," she said to him. “Miles told me about it as we were getting ready for dinner.”  
  
"I told him the negotiations were going to be fine," Riza said with a soft laugh. Edith did the same.   
  
Roy shook his head but chuckled, not bothered over that at all. Riza was right when she told him to not worry over the negotiations with Ling. Once the discussions were over Ling and his guests quickly left East City to head back to Xing, a very long train trip ahead of them. The Brigadier General thought the meeting was a success.  
  
"I owe the Captain an apology, then. Seriously though, I'm very excited for the trading with Xing to get started."  
  
"So am I,” Ross said. “I still can’t believe you want me to come up with an ambassadorial team and deal with the trade delegations.”   
  
Roy’s response was a soft laugh. Since finding out Ling was fine with traveling to Amestris to talk with him, Roy thought about having an Ambassador to Xing and believed First Lieutenant Ross was the perfect candidate for that. He had faith she would do just fine.   
  
“Ross is going to be the Ambassador to Xing,” Breda explained to Edith. “We already told her how we’re all in support of this.”  
  
“Oh, is that so? Congratulations then, Lieutenant Ross.”   
  
“I appreciate that, Mrs. Miles,” Ross replied, smiling.  
  
There was a brief moment of silence from everyone and then Miles asked, “Are we still going to Xeres again when you and your team visit Ishval next month?”  
  
At that instant Roy nodded. “It’s been a while since I met with Madam Shan, but I’m ready to talk to her about the progress of rebuilding Ishval once again.”  
  
The last time Roy talked with Madam Shan it hadn’t proceeded as smoothly as he would have liked it to. The Elder Ishvalan had claimed he expected to gain her trust to her too soon. Close to a year and a half had passed by since then and while he could have planned his visit to Xeres a little sooner, now was good as any time to do that. He glanced at Riza, a supportive smile lurked on her lips.  
  
“Well I wish you good luck with that,” Edith said.   
  
Roy remained quiet briefly before he said to Miles and his wife, "I wish you both a safe trip back to Ishval." The married couple was going to be leaving back to that region in the morning and Roy wanted to make sure he said his goodbyes properly.   
  
Both Miles and Edith gave Roy a grateful smile. "We will," Miles said.  
  
For the rest of the dinner everyone discussed a variety of topics, like the radio shows they had been listening to and which books were worth reading. Roy was going to miss the Lieutenant Colonel and Edith, but already look forward meeting with them again someday.  
  
+++  
  
When Riza made it back to Roy's house with him, they were sitting in the couch together listening to one of the radio stations Edith suggested, which featured classical music. The two were still in their uniforms save their military jackets as it was more comfortable for them that way. Riza wasn't paying too much attention to it, the violin playing fading away from her.   
  
The Captain couldn't believe it had been two years since their relationship started. These days she and Roy found it hard to have a moment alone together due to all the changes happening, but for tonight she was glad they were able to have some peace to themselves.   
  
"Remember the time when I first kissed you, after we left the hospital?" Riza asked as she tipped her head.  
  
Roy gazed at her and his mouth twisted to a wide grin. "And then us on your bed right after? Best night of my life."  
  
That made Riza smirk. She should’ve known he would say that. “How about the morning after?” Before letting Roy answer, Riza began kissing his ear softly and she heard a low groan from him.   
  
“Best morning of my life.”   
  
Losing it, Riza laughed out loud and gave Roy a quick kiss on the lips. "You're so predictable, sometimes."  
  
A snort came out from Roy, but his expression instantly changed. "I'm curious as to why you asked me that, though."  
  
"I was just thinking about how we're still together like this." Riza shrugged. "Time sure flies by fast."  
  
"Well, I'm happy we somehow made this work."  
  
Roy’s lips brushed against Riza's in a kiss she gladly returned. Riza had her hands on Roy's shoulders while he encircled his arms around her waist. She always felt comfortable being close to him like that, loved that their hearts were beating in the same rhythm. Eventually their lips parted and Roy looked at her with sad eyes.  
  
"There is still a lot of work to be done regarding Ishval and Amestris, always in progress.”  
  
Riza pondered over what Roy said. Indeed the work she and Roy had been doing kept piling up and there seemed to be no end in sight. Despite that, she would follow through with this no matter what.  
  
"We have faced some challenges along the way, but for the most part everything's going as planned, like today. Also, I'll still be by your side."  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Roy said, a hopeful expression flickered on his face.   
  
They then kissed once more, this time with more intensity. Before Riza knew it she pushed Roy onto his back and had her knees on his hips, her fingers working to undo the buttons on his shirt as she leaned her head down to find Roy’s mouth, unable to stop herself.   
  
There was no telling what would happen with the plans in the upcoming years, for better or worse. What Riza knew for certain was that she and Roy would go through this together. If more obstacles come at their way, so be it. She was then reminded when Roy had told her how their past at Ishval and the aftermath of it could be considered a love story; that particular story would never end, but that was all right because Riza didn't want it to.


End file.
